By Your Side, Chapter 06

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Some things we don’t talk about
Rather do without
And just hold the smile

Falling in and out of love
Ashamed and proud of
Together all the while

Bella stretched lazily in bed as she slowly woke up. It was the morning after her run in with Mikael and thanks to the few drops of Original’s blood she’d had to heal her swollen face, she was actually feeling pretty good.

As she’d watched Mikael burn with Nik and Elijah the night before, chaos had erupted behind them. Damon had been furious with Stefan when he’d realised that he had been so close to a weapon that could kill Niklaus, Stefan in turn had then berated Damon for getting compelled, even though he himself had actually been compelled as well. The three girls with them had attempted to keep the peace; though failed miserably.

Bella had stayed standing between the brothers as they silently watched, until nothing was left of Mikael but scorched bones and dust. Greta had already retrieved Bella’s bag from inside before leaving, so once they were satisfied the three of them had turned to go, ignoring the protests from the other group.

Bella snickered to herself as she remembered the looks of outrage on the Mystic Falls gang’s faces as Nik, Elijah and herself had just walked away, leaving the ashy remains of Mikael for them to deal with.

Stretching once more before she threw back the quilt and got up, Bella padded to the bathroom. Today would be a big day… and well, she hoped it would be a good day too.

After they had arrived home last night Nik had immediately called his warlock Maddox, arranging for him to retrieve his daggered siblings out from safekeeping and bring them to the mansion this afternoon. Once they arrived Nik would be keeping his promise to Elijah and undaggering them.

If she was honest, Bella was pretty nervous about it. She was less worried about Finn as apparently he didn’t really like anyone that much, but what if Rebekah or Kol didn’t like her?

She hadn’t said anything to Nik or Elijah, not wanting to encroach on the celebratory mood they’d both been in after the phone call. Between them it seemed they had been trying to keep Jack Daniels in business for the next year, ending up – as Elijah had so humorously put it – three sheets to the wind and keeping Bella entertained with stories for the rest of the evening.

It had been easy last night to put her fears aside and enjoy herself, but now in the harsh light of day she couldn’t help but worry again. She trusted Nik, and even Elijah, not to just abandon her but she didn’t want to cause any more rifts in their family when they had enough to overcome already. She knew Nik was worried that his siblings would not want to reconcile with him, though he would most likely never admit it. There was no way she wanted to make things any harder for him.

Bella sighed and tried to pull herself together. It was no use thinking too much about it, they would either be okay with her or they wouldn’t.

She had taken the day off school, so it was later than usual when Bella headed down for breakfast. She wasn’t surprised that Nik and Elijah had already had theirs – no hangovers thank to their vampire healing – but what did surprise her as she reached the kitchen was a covered plate waiting on the side for her. Finding a stack of pancakes she quickly heated them up and devoured them, only realising how hungry she actually was once she started eating.

As she finished and all but licked the plate she laughed and called out: “Whoever made me the pancakes, I adore you.”

“You’re welcome.” Elijah’s amused voice floated back to her from the sitting room as she got up to clean up after her meal.

The sound of muffled bangs and the occasional curse was coming from upstairs when Bella headed to get her laptop and join Elijah. If she had to guess she would say Nik was building furniture right now and it made her smile.

Nik was so determined to get the place finished for all of them. Though he played his feelings very close to his chest, it was easy for Bella to see how important it was to him to have his family with him. The few people Nik cared about he felt very deeply for, and sometimes Bella felt lucky to be considered his friend.

Elijah looked up as Bella entered the room and exchanged a brief smile with her as she sat down with her laptop.

It still amazed him sometimes that she would actively seek out his and Niklaus’ company as much as she did. He had never come across a human that was so comfortable in their company; let alone one that actually seemed to prefer it to being alone.

He didn’t mind her presence either, in fact he quite enjoyed having her there. Apart from being pleasant company, her love and unwavering loyalty to Niklaus, and by extension himself, was something he greatly admired in her. She had seen the truth of what and who they are and had not even flinched.

He hoped that when his siblings awoke they would take the time to see the same things in her that he did, because he was certain that if they did, they would come to appreciate her too.

You can never say never
While we don’t know when
But time and time again
Younger now than we were before

Don’t let me go
Don’t let me go

Bella’s nerves were back in full swing by the time the blue lorry had arrived with the coffins containing Nik and Elijah’s family.

She watched from her perch in the hallway up the stairs as two of the caskets, a larger sealed one and an empty one that would have been Elijah’s, were taken downstairs to the basement and stored away before the three containing Rebekah, Kol and Finn were placed in one of the smaller sitting rooms.

Curiosity overcoming her, she quietly crept downstairs and poked her head around the door to sneak a peek. Nik laughed as he saw her, and waved at her to come into the room. She stood by Elijah and watched as Nik opened each box up and carefully pulled the daggers from his siblings, placing them on a side table.

Bella’s gaze skipped over the three bodies, lingering on Kol and Rebekah. “Damn, your family had some good genes!”

Elijah chuckled at her awed sigh. “I’m sure both Kol and Rebekah would be delighted to hear you think so.”

Niklaus smirked as Bella’s face turned red, she still really did blush far too easily.

“How long will it take?” she asked quietly.

“Not long,” Elijah answered, “Maybe a little slower for Finn. Perhaps it is best if it is only myself waiting with them.”

Catching the unspoken implication that they would probably not react well to seeing him first, Nik gently grabbed Bella’s elbow and led her from the room.

They settled in the larger den again and Bella attempted to read for a while though she was unable to focus for more than a page or so each time she tried. Nik looked the picture of relaxation at first glance, but his tense shoulders and occasional twitch of his leg gave him away to anyone who knew him well enough.

Bella got up and put her book back on the bookshelf with a sigh, it really wasn’t doing her any favours.

“Not enjoying the book?” Nik asked her dryly as she sat back down. She glared at him half-heartedly.

“Let’s not go there Mr I’ll pretend I’m fine but am actually sitting here twitching.”

A surprised laugh escaped him at her snarky response. “You know most people wouldn’t dare to say something like that to me.”

“Yes, but we both know I can get away with it, same as I’ve been getting away with hugging you.”

“I don’t hug,” he said with distaste. “I merely… allow you to embrace me on occasion.”

Bella snorted, “Embrace you, my ass.”

“Such disrespect… I’ve killed people for far less you know.” Nik told her, an amused smirk on his face.

“That’s okay, because you’ve let me live after far more.”

While he was distracted by Bella, Niklaus hadn’t noticed that his siblings were already awake now and approaching the room. As they listened to the conversation inside the room, they were dumbfounded to hear him laugh loudly as the unfamiliar female spoke.

“I told you he had changed.” Elijah said, almost under his breath, as they looked at him in surprise.

A noise in the doorway caught Niklaus and Bella’s attention and they both looked over to see Elijah there, three figures standing behind him.

They followed him in and Bella barely held back a whimper as quite possibly the most attractive man she’d ever seen walked into the room. She had seen him earlier of course, still laid out with a dagger in his heart, but it was nothing compared to seeing him alive and in front of her.

He was taller than both Nik and Elijah, maybe around six foot and a little broader, with dark eyes and what she could only describe as sex hair. Her eyes wandered over his form, his green shirt and black vest hinting at the body underneath, the sleeves rolled up and showing off his muscular forearms.

“Long time brother.”

Being around Nik and Elijah, she had thought she was used to smooth-talkers, but his soft accent as he spoke to Niklaus was something else entirely, and it sent pleasant shivers through her.

Much to her mortification a strangled gasp escaped her, and her face flamed as every vampire in the room suddenly looked in her direction. Looking down, she missed Niklaus smirking knowingly as Kol blatantly checked her out as she had just done to him, his nostrils flaring as he picked up her scent.

Murmuring an apology she got up and left the room, hoping to regain some composure in the time it would take to go to the bathroom. Being human and therefore lacking vampire hearing, she completely missed Niklaus’ splutter of laughter as Kol asked, “Who might that pretty little thing be?”

Picture, you’re the queen of everything
As far as the eye can see
Under your command

I will be your guardian
When all is crumbling
I steady your hand

As her epic bout of embarrassment started wearing off, Bella finally returned to the lounge where the vampires were still gathered. Elijah was deep in conversation with the older looking brother who she assumed to be Finn. Which meant the younger one who she had just had a slight mental break down over was Kol and he was talking to Nik. This had left Rebekah free to ambush her as soon as she entered the room.

“Bella, right?” the blonde vampire looked her up and down interestedly. “As I understand it, we have you to thank for us being undaggered, in part at least.”

“Yes, I guess so.” Bella said hesitantly, not quite sure how to react to her.

“Oh no, sweet, you have to own it. When someone owes you one, you make sure they know it because it doesn’t happen often with us.” Rebekah winked at her and Bella smiled. She could suddenly see a little of Nik in the girl in front of her, and contrary to what most people’s reaction would have been, it actually made her feel more comfortable.

“So,” Rebekah begun, linking her arm through Bella’s and moving them over to sit on one of the sofas. “How the hell did you end up living with my brother of all people?”

“Um, he saved me?” Bella had tensed automatically and in her nerves her reply had come out sounding like a question. Though she almost laughed as the blonde’s eyebrows had then rose in surprise and nearly disappeared into her hairline.

“Nik saved you? Oh this I have got to hear.” She turned her body further towards Bella on the sofa and gestured with her hand. “Come on, spill.”

Bella stayed silent for a long moment, it wasn’t something she ever really talked about much. Not because she had any feelings for Edward, they had faded a long time ago. Instead she just felt a bit foolish for having believed he loved her, as well as some lingering guilt. Nik and Elijah had both drummed it into to her that what had happened to her and her family was not her fault, but the feeling had never completely left.

She looked up to see Rebekah looking at her questioningly and, realising that she would need to tell her story sometime and that from what she knew of her Rebekah would more than likely understand, she nodded to herself and started talking. It was a bit awkward at first and then the words just started flowing. Rebekah interrupted with the odd question but had mostly just let Bella speak as she told her about how she had first met Edward and noticed something different about him.

Lost in her memories, Bella didn’t notice as the room gradually fell silent apart from her voice, the four brothers stopping their own conversations as they too started listening to her, two of them extremely curious about the girl who had somehow brought their family back together.

She laughed self-depreciatingly as she described the way Edward had easily lured her in and it was only as she described being beaten then bitten by James that a sudden unfamiliar growl made her jump and realise that all eyes were now on her.

“May I see?” Rebekah asked, her voice uncharacteristically gentle as she indicated the ever-present leather cuff on Bella’s wrist. Bella nodded shakily, loosening the cuff and holding her arm out after slipping it off. The layered bite marks stood out like a flashing beacon to the vampires and even Finn’s usually stoic façade cracked a little as he looked at them. Elijah and Nik’s face were impassive, they had already heard every detail and Bella found that she couldn’t even look at Kol, nervous as he already seemed to make her.

“There’s more than one bite there…” Finn said slowly, “How could you survive this?”

Bella looked down as she slid the leather band back on, and haltingly continued her story feeling a lot more ill at ease now that she was aware they were all listening.

None of them interrupted as she briefly described the pain of having the venom in her body and then having it sucked back out. She glossed over her time in hospital and the recovery and quickly moved onto the events of her disastrous birthday party, finding it all incredibly uncomfortable to talk about with this audience and just wanting to get it over with quickly.

Rebekah had been outraged as she’d got to the part about being left in the woods, calling Edward a ‘bloody arsehole‘ and several more increasingly creative insults.

Bella now faltered as she got to the hardest part and, blinking back the tears stinging in her eyes, she looked pleadingly at Nik.

He stared at her for a moment then nodded. “Go on Belle, I’ll finish for you.”

She bolted from the room even as Rebekah, Kol and Finn all looked at him somewhere between surprised at his kindness and expectant to hear the rest.

Niklaus continued his voice carefully neutral, as he described finding Bella, and how she had captured his interest when she’d stood up to him despite being all but broken. He explained what had happened to her family and how everyone had come to believe her to be dead too.

He couldn’t help but smile, further surprising his recently risen siblings, as he then told them how they had become friends, how she had helped him to make peace with Elijah and eventually telling them the details of exactly what had happened with Mikael.

As they digested everything they’d been told Niklaus nodded to Elijah and quietly left the room in search of Bella.

“So Niklaus really did save her,” Rebekah stated wonderingly, “I mean she said he did, but I didn’t think she meant it quite so literally.”

“Yes, he saved her and in return I think she has helped him to save himself.” Elijah said quietly as they all drifted in their own thoughts.

“Well, she is certainly interesting.” Kol mused suddenly, and Elijah had to hide his smile at the slightly bemused look on his younger brother’s face.

It was fairly obvious; to him at least, that Kol was already quite taken with Bella. It had been Kol who had growled, apparently unknowingly, during her story when she had talked about being attacked.

It was also clear to him that Bella was equally interested, unless he had completely misjudged Bella’s furious blushing and quick exit when she had first seen Kol.

He supposed that they would have to figure it out in their own time. Though from what he knew of his younger brother, once he had worked out exactly what he was feeling, there would be no stopping him. If he decided that he truly wanted Bella she would not know what had hit her, and it would more than likely be extremely entertaining for everyone else to watch.

Niklaus stood in the entrance way for a moment, utilising his enhanced senses. As he located Bella he headed up the stairs to the large balcony at the back of the house, finding her leaning on the railing there staring up at the sky.

He could smell the salt of her tears as he approached her and without saying a word he grabbed her, pulling her into his arms as she sniffled into his chest. He rubbed her back soothingly as she slowly calmed down, not entirely comfortable with the affection but knowing that she for once needed it.

“Despite the evidence to the contrary, I am not hugging you.” Nik said suddenly, his voice lightly teasing.

“Right,” a watery laugh escaped her, “No hugs, this was just one of those embraces that you occasionally allow.” She wiped her eyes and leant back to look at him. “Thanks Nik.”

“Don’t mention it… I mean it, not to anyone. Now, off you go and freshen up, while I change out of this shirt you’ve kindly watered all over for me,” Bella giggled at his fake scolding tone.

“Why I put up with your blatant disrespect.” he mock-sighed.

“Yeah, yeah,” Bella snickered as they made their way to the stairs, “You’ve killed people for far less. I know.”

~*~*~

We’re falling apart and coming together again and again
We’re growing apart but we pull it together, pull it together, together again

Don’t let me go
Don’t let me go

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Chapter title and Song lyrics are from Never Say Never ~ The Fray

Credit as ever to my  Beta TheCoreConundrum