{"id":252,"date":"2024-08-13T18:49:52","date_gmt":"2024-08-13T18:49:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/meekobuggy.com\/?page_id=252"},"modified":"2024-08-13T19:04:11","modified_gmt":"2024-08-13T19:04:11","slug":"chapter-09","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/meekobuggy.com\/?page_id=252","title":{"rendered":"Chapter 09"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong>Chapter 09<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><em>\u201cEdward, what did you do?!\u201d Rosalie screeched as Bella was being brought before her and Carlisle. Rosalie didn\u2019t look all too pleased, but Bella felt fine. Super fine, if she had to be honest.&nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>\u201cI didn\u2019t do anything and watch your tongue, sister,\u201d he countered and nearly threw Bella onto the table, causing her to giggle. \u201cOr do you want to follow Jasper and Alice to the cells?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Rosalie dropped her head. \u201cMy apologies, Prince Edward. I shall make my leave while you and King Carlisle will look after my daughter.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Bella didn\u2019t want Rosalie to leave. If she was going to be left alone with the King and Prince, bad things were going to happen, but she felt fine now, who cared? Was Edward going to feed her again? She had loved the small, round things she had found underneath his pillow after his night with one of the women of the compound. She wasn\u2019t of age yet, and Edward had needs. Needs Bella couldn\u2019t wait to satisfy.&nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>\u201cWe need to pump her stomach,\u201d Carlisle said as he grabbed a hose and opened Bella\u2019s mouth, shoving it down her throat without hesitation. It burned, and Bella wanted to gag, but she\u2019d been taught not to. She could take this. \u201cHow irresponsible of you, Edward.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>\u201cYou said to keep it there, this was all a test for her. She&#8217;s still too curious. I can\u2019t have her like this.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>\u201cDon\u2019t worry,\u201d he attached something at the end of the hose and Bella could feel how her stomach started to feel funny. How the hose hummed and how there was water coming out of it before it got sucked out again. \u201cWe\u2019ll just leave her here for a couple of hours, she\u2019ll be fine, the drugs will be out of her system soon.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Would she? She could barely breathe as it was, and she was fully conscious.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Oh, she was having a nightmare again, wasn\u2019t she?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She woke up, startled and gasping for air, almost as she still could feel the hose in her throat. She needed to throw up. Scrambling out of bed, she managed to reach the bathroom and threw up. As she had a nearly empty stomach, it was mostly something slimy and something red. Metallic tasting. Blood.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Bella remembered that after the incident her nightmare was from, she had to throw up but had to swallow it because she wasn\u2019t allowed to. She could vividly remember the taste of her own blood as the hose had done some damage to her throat that only went away after a couple of weeks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With last night\u2019s incident in the bathtub and now waking up like this she couldn\u2019t help but wonder if she was cursed somehow, to relive things that had happened to her in the past. If so, she didn\u2019t want it.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She did feel better than the night before so she fixed herself up, shed some of the extra layered clothes and decided to join everyone for breakfast. Despite her not wanting to eat but only wished to drink tea, she was going to force herself to have something because she doubted that her stomach would like to suffer through another round what she just suffered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cGood morning,\u201d she greeted Jeri and Rebekah as she sat down in her usual chair and poured herself some tea.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cMorning,\u201d Jeri replied with a small smile. \u201cYou certainly look better than last night.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI feel better.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cGood, because I was just filling Rebekah in about what happened.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI was cold, I fell asleep in your bath and had a nightmare.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cShould I call Nik to come back?\u201d Rebekah asked worried as she looked at Bella. \u201cHe\u2019d want to know this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cNo, why? I feel fine now.\u201d She grabbed a pancake and started to eat it, but not quite liking the taste of it. It tasted like mud, and it didn\u2019t slide down her throat that well, however, she was going to soldier on. \u201cI don\u2019t think he\u2019ll appreciate it to be called back only because I wasn\u2019t feeling so well last night.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYou know he\u2019d come back in an instant.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cExactly and that\u2019s not necessary.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She had to blink when Elijah and Jessica came into the room as for a moment; it looked as if it were Carlisle and Esme. That was ridiculous, of course, they weren\u2019t here, not as far as they were aware. She swallowed the remaining mud pancake away with her tea and was glad that it had only been a flash. <em>I\u2019m cursed<\/em>, she thought.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If this was going to happen every time Klaus went away, out of New Orleans, she was going to go with him. She was wondering if he was suffering the same. \u201cHave you heard from them?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOf course not,\u201d Rebekah replied as she took a sip of her freshly poured blood. \u201cThey\u2019re probably having too much fun to send us a message. I was thinking of inviting Cami over today, what do you say, Bella? The four &#8211; five &#8211; of us to have a pamper day.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOh, I\u2019m out,\u201d Jeri groaned. \u201cNo pampering and all girl bonding shit. Nope.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Bella wanted to say that she was going to join Jeri instead, but Rebekah was faster. \u201cNope, you\u2019re staying.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAnd here I thought that maybe Bella would find it interesting to see me work. I get the feeling that she hasn\u2019t been instructed much about witches.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cShe hasn\u2019t,\u201d Rebekah sulked. \u201cWitches are\u2026 a convenience.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHa!\u201d Jeri snorted and looked at Bella. \u201cDon\u2019t worry Bella, you\u2019ll love it, magic is actually very pretty when not used to figure out someone else\u2019s mess.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">~o.O.o~<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After supplying Jeri another sample of her blood because the witch was \u2018curious\u2019, she entertained her with some beautiful spells with lovely colors. She even had one to write on the wall with, and that was fun. Of course, Bella was ridiculously human, but it had been fun to watch.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Bella knew that Kol loved magic for what it was, beautiful and fun. He had told her about his human life and his second shot at it, and even though he missed it terribly, he was grateful that he didn\u2019t have to die again. Or at least had a better chance of defying death in his original body. He liked to have fun, and Bella could tell that Jeri was the same way. They were perfect for each other.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And it was a good thing Jeri was around, she wasn\u2019t as careful with Bella as the Mikaelsons. Had Bella gone to Rebekah to ask for a hot bath, she would have said no, but Jeri had shared her bathroom. She wasn\u2019t made out of porcelain; she\u2019s been through a lot more than a simple too hot shower &#8211; should she ever shower that hot again. It wasn\u2019t needed. Not anymore. Or was it? She wasn\u2019t quite sure.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But she liked Jeri because of that. That didn\u2019t mean that she was still afraid of her for the same reason.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOh, that\u2019s interesting,\u201d Jeri said after two hours of testing and entertaining the human girl. \u201cWell, not interesting, but potentially dangerous. Are you sure you\u2019re okay?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Bella blinked at her. \u201cI\u2019m just suffering from Klaus withdrawal.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jeri smiled at that. \u201cI get it that you\u2019re smitten with him, and that\u2019s cute, but are you sure you\u2019re okay?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Bella shrugged as she thought for a moment. She felt as if she was being stabbed with a million stabby things reminding her of the many times Carlisle stuck her with them, and there was a little bit of nausea, but she felt fine. \u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jeri let out a frustrated sigh. \u201cLook, if I\u2019m going to figure out what the fuck they did to you, you need to be honest with me. Tell me what you feel. Your recent blood looks like it\u2019s falling apart, as if it\u2019s deteriorating. Klaus\u2019 blood is out of your system now. His blood, not the tainted version you have. Your blood seems to be fighting to be separated, but that\u2019s impossible since it\u2019s your blood.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t understand.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cImagine a slice of bread. Now soak it in water. It\u2019ll soak it all up but becomes soggy and not the same. That\u2019s what\u2019s happening to your blood,\u201d she explained and then eyed her again. \u201cSo do not tell me you feel fine, surely you must feel the effects.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI&#8212;\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cBella, it\u2019s crucial, alright? From the looks of this, this happened almost overnight.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m cursed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYes, that\u2019s obvious.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Bella blinked at that, she knew? \u201cI&#8212; it\u2019s nothing, really. Minor things. My dreams, they\u2019re getting more real as if they&#8217;re a memory, and I wake up feeling as if it had just happened.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOkay,\u201d she turned to the Grimoire. \u201cI think I\u2019ve seen a variation of that in here, somewhere. Just keep me posted when things change.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Bella hopped off the table and nodded behind Jeri\u2019s back. Surely it wasn\u2019t that important; she just wanted something to do. To make sure Klaus would get pissed off and kill her so she\u2019d evolve. That was it. \u201cI\u2019ll be in my room, I\u2019m going to the kitchen first to get something to eat.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYeah, sure,\u201d Jeri replied absentmindedly as she kept eyeing the book and the blood.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After picking up some cold pancakes from the kitchen and a cup of warm tea, Bella made her way to her room but decided to go to Klaus\u2019 study. Even though he wasn\u2019t there, the fireplace was alight, and she felt cold again. She carefully placed her food in front of the fireplace and went looking for her blanket on the couch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She smiled at that; it was her blanket. He had gotten it for her for their late nights talking, and as she wrapped it around her on her way over to the warmth, she could smell him on it. She sat there for a while, munching on her pancakes and realizing that her tea had turned cold. Drinking it anyway, she then made her way to the couch and laid down for a nap. It was nowhere near bed time yet, she still needed to have dinner and then be awake for a few more hours, but she felt tired.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And guilty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She shouldn\u2019t have eaten the food or drank the tea, she hadn\u2019t even asked permission yet to get it, would Elijah or Rebekah be mad at her? What about Jeri? It wasn\u2019t as if Jeri had anything to say about it, she was an outsider, just like Bella was. Jeri would have said \u2018go for it\u2019, Bella knew that much.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She had it so good here, why was she trying to self-sabotage herself?&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She pulled the blanket over her head as if she was trying to block out her thoughts.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>\u201cWhat did we say about hiding?\u201d Rosalie\u2019s kind voice sounded. \u201cYou can\u2019t do this, Bella, the King won\u2019t be pleased about it, and he\u2019ll hurt us all.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>\u201cBut mom, he hurt me yesterday!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>\u201cI know, bunny, but I can\u2019t do anything about it. Now come out of your hiding spot, he\u2019s waiting for you.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Bella crawled out from underneath her bed and dusted herself off. She was wearing a beautiful dress with flowers, and her hair was perfectly braided, she felt like a princess. But she was scared. But she couldn\u2019t let her mom and dad get hurt because of what she refused to do so she had to do this.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>\u201cNow, remember, you\u2019re not allowed to speak.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Bella nodded. If she did, the King would hurt her parents.&nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Rosalie took Bella\u2019s hand and brought her to the main building, to the clean white room that she had been in the day before. When the King had hooked her up to a machine and flushed her blood and then hurt her with electric shocks because she had \u2018died\u2019. Dying was scary. Her vision had become blurry at first, and her heart had been trying to pump blood that wasn\u2019t there and it had hurt so bad. She didn\u2019t want to go through that again.&nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>She wanted to cry, but she wasn\u2019t allowed to do that either. She didn\u2019t want to be here, why was she here?&nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>\u201cThank you, Rosalie, you may go now,\u201d the King spoke quietly as he lifted Bella up and placed her on the chair.&nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>\u201cPlease be careful with her, she\u2019s still hurting from whatever you did yesterday.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>\u201cSilence, woman. Go back to doing your duties as wife.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Bella was strapped onto the chair in a second as the King used his speed to do so and then smirked. She wanted to wipe that smirk off his face. Permanently.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>\u201cI\u2019ve lived a lot of years, and I always refrained from harming humans,\u201d he spoke quietly with that same smirk on his face. \u201cHowever, since you\u2019re our human, I don\u2019t see why I can\u2019t satisfy my curiousity how the current modern variety will hold up to particular experiments. Yesterday was entertaining, today will be even more so.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Things were attached to her head and her arms, and she wasn\u2019t sure what it was. She couldn\u2019t see, her head couldn\u2019t move. Something was forced into her mouth, and she had to blink away her tears because it hurt. She couldn\u2019t swallow properly or move her head. This was scaring her.&nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>\u201cNow let\u2019s see what happens when I flip this switch\u2026\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Bella fell off the couch as she convulsed and hit her head against the coffee table. She managed to let out a scream, but couldn\u2019t stop her body from moving. She couldn\u2019t stop herself from shaking.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Rebekah was the first one to get to her, pushing away the coffee table and holding Bella as she convulsed. Bella tried to focus on her and managed to see that she was worried. \u201cCall Nik!\u201d Rebekah shouted to someone else who was in the room. \u201cHe needs to come back now!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Bella blacked out then and stopped convulsing. Rebekah carefully lifted her off the floor and placed her in Klaus\u2019 bed while Elijah was calling her brother. The girl was in rough shape, just like that. It looked like she had vampire bites all over, and that pissed Rebekah off. \u201cWho came in here and bit her?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t think anyone did,\u201d Jeri said as she climbed on the bed. She sprinkled a mixture of herbs on Bella\u2019s body to soothe the effects of the spell for her and keeping her in a slumber for her sake. \u201cI suspected something was off a few hours ago; her blood seemed to disintegrate or to separate from the magical components. I found a spell in the Grimoire that the witch had scribbled \u2018CC\u2019 next to. It took me a while to realize that it meant Carlisle Cullen, actually, it was Becky herself that gave me the answer.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhat is it?\u201d Rebekah gently caressed the loose strands of hair out of Bella\u2019s face.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cExcuse me, Niklaus wants to hear this as well,\u201d Elijah said, placing the phone on speaker on the bed. \u201cHe\u2019s on his way home.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI identified most of the spells used in the potion from tales you\u2019ve told, from tests I\u2019ve done on the blood and from tales Bella told. Becky validated them,\u201d Jeri explained. \u201cOne of them being the most important one; Klaus will be the death of Bella, and her savior.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>\u201cWhat is that supposed to mean?\u201d <\/em>Klaus demanded through the phone.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThat Becky wasn\u2019t a particularly bad witch, just a scared one, but oh so crafty. To be honest, I\u2019m impressed,\u201d Jeri said cheerfully as she saw another bite mark appear on Bella\u2019s arm. \u201cShe knew that one day, you\u2019d come back to New Orleans. This is why she used your blood for this. She hated the Cullens and hated to work for them, but it meant protection and a hefty sum of money. When you\u2019re knee deep in debt, you\u2019ll do just about anything.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>\u201cHow do you know this?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI summoned her spirit when Bella went down for a nap, no biggie,\u201d she replied. \u201cHow about you kill me as a thank you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>\u201cJust keep talking, you\u2019re testing my patience,\u201d <\/em>Klaus growled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhile you\u2019re well known for your monstrous behavior. Becky knew that all of you had a soft side as well and that upon returning to New Orleans, you\u2019d eventually find her. She used your blood to bind her to you so that you\u2019d be her salvation and ruin everything Carlisle would do to her. Reverse it. That part of the spell kicked in when you fed her your blood. Once it was out of her system, she started to have nightmares that seemed too real, almost as if she was reliving the memories. She\u2019s probably been in a lot of pain for the last couple of days, and none of us noticed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A stream of expletives could be heard coming out of the phone from both Kol and Klaus. When they finally shut up again, Jeri continued. \u201cLong story short, she\u2019s dying. So it\u2019s up to you if you want to save her.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>\u201cAnd how am I supposed to do that?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cTurn her.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Klaus could be heard sucking in a breath. <em>\u201cIs there another option?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cNo. Either you turn her, or she permanently dies.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cNiklaus, how far away are you from New Orleans?\u201d Elijah asked as he picked up the phone again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>\u201cA couple of hours but Kol already suggested we\u2019d get rid of the car and run our way home to shorten the trip.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cDo that, brother,\u201d Elijah urged him as he saw Bella\u2019s body spasm. \u201cIt\u2019s not looking good.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">~o.O.o~<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He could smell her blood the moment he set foot in the courtyard. He and Kol had quickly fed before they returned home after their long run, but he could smell her blood. Rushing to his study, he found everyone in there, holding a quiet vigil for Bella, who lay upon his bed dressed in a big shirt and some underwear, nothing else.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Klaus quickly observed the room and noticed a mountain of laundry, stained in red. \u201cWhat happened?\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He wanted to rush to the bed and kneel down next to his Bella, but he had already rushed over from where he and Kol had gotten out of the car. Her heartbeat was faint. There were bite marks all over her body, some still red from recent appearances. There was blood seeping out of tiny marks made by syringes. Not much, but enough for him to worry. If this was a glimmer of the Cullen\u2019s treatment of her, he didn\u2019t want to know what he had missed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cInternal bleeding, it came out of her as if it was her period on steroids or the Niagara Falls,\u201d Jeri murmured, placing a new cold, wet cloth on the feverish Bella. \u201cI\u2019ve managed to stabilize her somewhat, but you don\u2019t have long, Klaus. I\u2019ve made her sleep, and I can wake her up again, but I have no idea for how much time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m going to kill them,\u201d Rebekah muttered, having watched the onslaught of the reversal first hand. Jeri had made another analogy about Bella\u2019s condition; with the spell intact and without having fed on Klaus\u2019 blood, Bella was like an M&amp;M. With the spell fallen away, the M&amp;M was now breaking apart and even affecting the peanut inside. She had wanted to wake Bella or have Jeri wake her, so she could tell them if she was in any pain. If she needed anything, but Elijah convinced her that it was probably better for Bella if she was oblivious to all of this.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It was, but it didn\u2019t mean she had to agree with it.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHas anyone asked her?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cNo, we let her sleep,\u201d Elijah squeezed his brother\u2019s shoulder. \u201cWe figured you should be the one to tell her what\u2019s going on and what her options are.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Leave us,&#8221; he demanded as he sat down on the edge his bed, looking at Bella over his shoulder. He needed to think really hard about this and very fast. Jeri and Kol stayed in the den. That wasn\u2019t what he had wanted, but maybe it was for the best seeing as Jeri\u2019s magic was the only thing helping Bella right now. Rebekah, Elijah, and Jessica were in the hallway but had closed the door. Not that it would count for privacy due to vampire hearing, but he always appreciated the gesture.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It surprised him that everyone had seemed to take a liking to this all too human and all too of an innocent young woman. The look on Kol\u2019s face spoke big and elaborate stories. He was putting up a brave face, but he didn\u2019t want Bella to leave, and Klaus wasn\u2019t certain if he wanted her to leave, either. Not out of fear as what might happen to him. He had survived the Hunter\u2019s curse. He could survive the spell being broken &#8211; and his heart with it would probably break in a million pieces as well.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She was human, but she was not. She\u2019d never been around humans apart from those in that crazy cult, but even then, it was unlikely. Bella had always been surrounded by supernaturals, and that made her one, in his opinion. She was beautiful, honest, and there was this spark inside of her that was just waiting to be ignited. Maybe becoming a vampire would help her realize that she was less fragile than she thought she was and dared to do things, such as going outside. Or a simple boost in her personality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Not that Klaus wanted it to change that much. If he had to be completely honest, he was enamored by her fragility and how she held herself up, proud. Those beautiful brown eyes of hers lit up whenever she saw him. That smile of hers was intoxicating and her scent\u2026&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, he was hesitant. As with Marcel, he didn\u2019t want her to live the life he was leading. Death and destruction. Darkness. If he\u2019d thought of Marcel as pure, then what was Bella? Angelic? He didn\u2019t want to ruin her. He hadn\u2019t actually ruined Marcel although he did stab him in the back. Would Bella do such a thing? No, she wouldn\u2019t. She\u2019d be afraid to hurt anyone, it would be a task to get her to drink from a human.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He loved her now, but would he love her forever? She\u2019d already become a part of their family. Would he be able to deal with her for the rest of her vampire life or would she be in danger as should she be a vampire, he wouldn\u2019t hesitate to kill her when pissed off? No, he wouldn\u2019t hurt her, ever. Nothing would change.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He\u2019d still take revenge on the Cullens because of her. Even if she were gone. If she\u2019d stay, she could help, and he\u2019d help her rip off that Edward\u2019s head and stuff it up Carlisle\u2019s ass. But her revenge shouldn\u2019t be the only reason for her to turn.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He wanted her to stay. As his.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But only if she wanted to. He wasn\u2019t going to force her. This was going to be her choice.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cJeri?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYes?\u201d Jeri walked into the bedroom, finding Klaus in the same position as they\u2019d left him, on the bed with his back towards Bella.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHow much pain would she be in if you\u2019d wake her now? Would she be coherent enough?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOh, I don\u2019t know,\u201d Jeri ran her hand through her hair. \u201cI mean\u2026 she\u2019s a tough cookie, really tough. She\u2019d probably act as if nothing\u2019s wrong while her body deteriorates. As I said before, I spelled her to take the edge off the pain but\u2026 I don\u2019t know. She\u2019d be in a lot of pain, I guess.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cVery well, then she and I will have to have a chat while she\u2019s transitioning,\u201d he said as he looked at Jeri. \u201cDo you have a syringe on you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cNo, but I\u2019ll get one,\u201d she smiled at him before leaving him again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Klaus moved on the bed and carefully pulled Bella\u2019s unconscious form into his lap, covering her with a blanket as she felt cold. \u201cI\u2019m so sorry, my love,\u201d he whispered in her ear, hoping she\u2019d somehow hear it. Kissing the top of her head, he could feel how her body slightly shook and then continued to tremble. He was going to kill the Cullens. Even if there were some good ones, he was going to kill them all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhat did you want with this?\u201d Jeri asked as she returned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cTake some of my blood, please, then inject it into her. I don\u2019t want to wake her up if she\u2019s going to be in so much pain,\u201d Klaus replied as he held out his arm to her.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI might have to do that twice, to be safe.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cNonsense.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cTwice, to be safe,\u201d Jeri said as she pushed the needle into his arm and withdrew his blood. She was more careful with injecting it into Bella. \u201cAnd a harmless spell for good luck,\u201d she added after muttering something before she injected her with the second dose. He had wanted it to do it this way because right now, Bella was still very much out cold, and he wanted his blood to take. To be sure that it would heal her up and change her. All he needed to do now was to snap her neck.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Just like that.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Her beautiful, fragile neck.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The sound of her bones crack was louder, somehow. Or maybe it seemed louder because it was so god awful quiet. He could feel the life drain out of her body, her heart had come to a full stop, and he really hoped he hadn\u2019t done the wrong thing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p>She rolled over on the bed and was surprised that she had rolled into someone. Opening her eyes, she blinked when she saw that it was Klaus. Sitting up and the room came into focus, everyone else was there as well. \u201cOh, that\u2019s not creepy at all,\u201d she muttered as she looked at them. \u201cWatching me sleep?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cMore like waiting for you to wake up, love,\u201d Klaus crooned and looked her over. Over the past few hours, he\u2019d watched her body heal itself, turning those pale cheeks pink again, and all the bite marks removed from her. \u201cHow are you feeling?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI\u2026 feel fine?\u201d she guessed. She did feel fine, how was that possible? She looked at Jeri and smiled at her. \u201cDid you do this?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThere wasn\u2019t anything I could do, Bella,\u201d Jeri replied with an even voice. \u201cWe called Kol and Klaus back so Klaus could save you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYou did?\u201d she smiled back up at him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cNot quite yet, love,\u201d he gently rubbed her back. \u201cBut for now, we\u2019re all glad you\u2019re feeling better. Let\u2019s have breakfast, I think we all could use a good cup of tea right about now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She softly kissed Klaus and left the bed. \u201cI\u2019m going to get changed, I doubt you\u2019ll want me to be at the table in&#8212;\u201d she looked down at herself and shrugged. \u201cNothing but a shirt and underwear, apparently. Why is that?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThings became a little messy last night,\u201d Jeri answered with a smile. \u201cWhat\u2019s the last thing you remember?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t know\u2026 having my pancakes and then laying down on the couch, I guess?\u201d Bella said after a while. She gratefully took the pair of sweatpants that Kol held up for her and got into them, making her look a little bit more presentable. \u201cWhy?\u201d She could tell that they were all hiding something and were watching her carefully. She had felt uncomfortable before, but this was at the top of her list right now. \u201cJust tell me, please. Something\u2019s going on, and you\u2019re leaving me out of it. I don\u2019t like it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Kol smirked. Bella was feeling better, her lethargy of the past few days gone, and now he hoped she\u2019d stick around. \u201cYou know what? I think this is a talk that Nik and Bella should have in private. I\u2019ll bring you some breakfast, but you two need to discuss this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When the door opened, Bella could hear the hinges squeak, and it sounded as if Carlisle was using a saw of some sort to cut something in her body. Wincing, she stumbled back, holding her head.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s alright love; I\u2019ve got you,\u201d Klaus said as he helped her back to her feet and gently placed her on a chair. \u201cThat door has always been a slight annoyance, but you\u2019ll get used to it eventually.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The door closed again, and Bella angrily looked at Klaus. \u201cWhat is happening?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYou fell ill,\u201d he said as he kneeled down in front of her, leaning on her knees with his arms. \u201cRebekah found you convulsing on the floor after you fell off the sofa, and it went pretty fast after that. They called Kol and I back because you were fading.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She blankly stared at him for a while as her brain started to connect the dots. \u201cSave me\u2026 Kol said you saved me. You bit me?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cNo, I haven\u2019t. Jeri helped me to get my blood into you before you\u2026 passed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cSo I\u2019m dead? I\u2019m\u2026 how? Why am I still here?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYou\u2019re in transition, love. You were in so much pain last night that it wasn\u2019t wise to wake you to ask you\u2026 this was the next best option. You could either choose to die or to live.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She blinked at him. \u201cYou asshole! What was the talk about loving humans, respecting them and things like that? You violated me!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYou still have a choice.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI shouldn\u2019t have to have that choice, do I?\u201d She pushed him away from her and started to pace the room. \u201cHaven\u2019t I been through enough? Why couldn\u2019t you just let me go?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He got to his feet and looked at her as she kept pacing the room. He didn\u2019t want to grab her because he might hurt her; her anger was fuelling his. Why was she unthankful? A lot of humans would love to have taken her place to get the choice.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI mean, seriously, Klaus. You can\u2019t just play God like that. I thought you were different than that,\u201d she stopped pacing and looked at him. \u201cWhy couldn\u2019t you just let me go?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That was the second time she asked him that and despite admitting it to himself, he wasn\u2019t quite sure what her reaction would be if he\u2019d tell her. However, she needed to know, she didn\u2019t have a lot of time. \u201cBecause it is impossible for me to let you go, Bella. Not because you\u2019re a charity case because you\u2019re far from one. I wouldn\u2019t know what to do without you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She huffed and rolled her eyes at him. She had done it before, but there was more fire behind it. Klaus mentally braced himself for if it\u2019d come out today. \u201cYou\u2019re a thousand years old, Klaus. You&#8217;d be fine without me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cDon\u2019t you want to stay?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOf course! But my life ended. And now it has to end again. I mean, I\u2019d be so bad at being a vampire. I don\u2019t even dare to go out on the street!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYou\u2019ll be stronger as a vampire. You could handle whatever would come your way. You won\u2019t get sick anymore. You\u2019ll be faster. You don\u2019t have to rely on others to protect you because you will be able to do it yourself &#8211; although that won\u2019t stop neither of us to still do that for you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI know what a vampire is, Klaus,\u201d she murmured as she looked at her feet. \u201cI\u2019ve suffered at the hands of a couple of bad ones for most of my life. And then I saw the beauty of it when you took me in,\u201d Bella lifted her head to look at him with a big smile on her face. \u201cYou\u2019re such a great person, Klaus. You\u2019ve shown me kindness, warmth, happiness. You\u2019ve shown me a better way of life; you were fixing me, building me back up from the ground. I kept telling myself that I was so lucky, so fortunate. There was nothing more that I wanted than to spend the rest of my natural life with you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cBella I&#8212;\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m not done,\u201d she walked to him and pulled him down for a kiss before continuing. \u201cI\u2019m so afraid that I\u2019m not a good enough person to be a vampire. I\u2019m\u2026 what if I turn, and I end up being like the Cullens? Rotten? And then you\u2019d leave me. Or you\u2019d kill me because it\u2019s easier to break a broken vampire, isn\u2019t it?\u201d She could feel the tears rolling down her cheeks. \u201cAnd if I do turn, and I\u2019m alright\u2026 what if in a couple of years you\u2019d find someone more interesting? Prettier? And you\u2019d forget about me?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He was silent as he struggled to keep his temper contained. Her wanting to leave, to die, hurt deeply. \u201cYou couldn\u2019t be more wrong, love,\u201d he murmured as he lifted her chin to meet his eyes. \u201cIf you\u2019d ever listened to a single story I told you, you\u2019d know that I don\u2019t like to turn people myself, and when I do, it\u2019s because they mean something to me. Like, Marcel. He begged me to turn him, and I did, because, after all, he was family. You are family. You\u2026\u201d Klaus sighed as he released her. \u201cI don\u2019t turn people because, in the end, all they want to do is leave. Marcel stuck around but not before stabbing me in the back a couple of times. My siblings? Elijah and Rebekah have left me countless of times; they still want to leave. And I don\u2019t blame them. Soon Kol will want to leave because he\u2019d want to show his catch of the month the world, have her meet other witches. And me? I\u2019m supposed to let that happen. But not you, Bella. Please. You can\u2019t leave me too.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Of course, why not? She nodded as she wiped away her tears. She couldn\u2019t leave. Over the months, he hadn\u2019t done anything simply for his enjoyment. He hadn\u2019t been selfish towards her; he had given her all the space and time she needed, and now he wanted one selfish act; he wanted her. Unless of course, she\u2019d be bad or if he\u2019d lose interest. It wasn\u2019t that she didn\u2019t want to stay, she wanted to be with him, she really did, but she couldn\u2019t quite explain what she was feeling. Instead, she was crying again. The thought of her leaving him hurt her too, maybe more than him leaving her. She didn\u2019t want to leave him. But she was scared.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI get it that you\u2019re frightened, love, but please, everything will be alright, I promise you. Let\u2019s not hurt each other by talking about leaving one another.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Bella huffed and then nearly vomited when some disgusting smell wafted in through the open window. \u201cWhat\u2019s that? Oh, that\u2019s disgusting.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYour pancakes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cNo!\u201d she said shocked. \u201cYou can\u2019t tell me that that horrible smell is the smell of my pancakes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Klaus laughed. \u201cIt\u2019s not. It\u2019s the smell of coffee.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOh good.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cEverybody still alive in there?\u201d Kol opened the door and peeked around the corner. \u201cNo bloodshed? I\u2019ve brought pancakes and tea. Sorry, Nik, holding off on the blood so she can still make a normal, rational decision.\u201d He placed the breakfast on the table and smiled at Bella. \u201cBut I\u2019d really love it if you\u2019d stick around, little mooner,\u201d he winked at her. \u201cImagine all the fun we could have without worrying about one of us getting hurt!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYou smell like coffee,\u201d Bella said as she scrunched her nose. \u201cYou\u2019re disgusting, Kol.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI am?\u201d He grinned as he took a step closer to her. \u201cHi,\u201d he breathed out in her direction. \u201cHow are you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cLeave me alone,\u201d she said, stepping back and pinching her nose. \u201cYou stink.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;I think he smells delicious,&#8221; Jeri muttered darkly as she followed behind him.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHe makes me want to throw up right now,\u201d she said as she kept walking back while Kol kept walking towards her. \u201cGo away, you need a mint.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOh, doubt you would want me to do that,\u201d Kol said with a grin before looking at his brother. \u201cPeople in transition and new vampires are so much fun!\u201d He fumbled in his pants and held up a roll of peppermint. \u201cI\u2019ve got a mint, are you sure you want me to take it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Bella nodded as she bumped into the wall. Kol was standing toe to toe with her now, and as he unwrapped his mint, she realized she had made a big mistake. The scent was even worse, stung her nose the moment it hit. \u201cNo, stop!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cToo late,\u201d he grinned and popped it in his mouth.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cStop overwhelming her senses, brother,\u201d Klaus warned him. \u201cAs you said, we want her rational still.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She managed to duck away and ran towards her pancakes. \u201cEvil, so evil,\u201d Bella muttered as she rolled one up and took a bite out of it before spitting it out again after a few chews. \u201cWhat did you do to the pancakes?\u201d she breezed as she looked at Kol. \u201cDid you make them with mud? I like pancakes, and you decide to ruin them?!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt wasn\u2019t me, darling,\u201d Kol laughed as he munched on his mint. \u201cIt\u2019s the change of human blood in your system that\u2019s killed your taste buds.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cNo, you did this, you did this to annoy me!\u201d Bella threw a pancake at him. \u201cYou\u2019re a stupid pancake, Kol!\u201d She threw another at him, and it hit him straight in his face.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYou hear that, Nik? I\u2019m a stupid pancake!\u201d Kol kept laughing as he peeled the food off his face. Bella looked just about ready to blow; this was fun. So much fun! \u201cBut you know what? This pancake tastes delicious.\u201d He folded it and took a bite out of it. \u201cHmm\u2026 tastes so good, Bella, you have no idea what you\u2019re missing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She was just about to throw another pancake at him when she smelled something delicious, almost as if it was calling out for her, and it was close. It wasn\u2019t the tea, although it smelled delicious too, she figured that if the pancake didn\u2019t taste good, the tea wouldn\u2019t either. This was a sweet smell; she could feel how she was salivating in her mouth. \u201cIs that blood?\u201d She looked at Jeri, who was standing at the table and walked towards her. \u201cOh my God, you smell delicious.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYes, she does, darling,\u201d Kol said as he stepped between Bella and Jeri. \u201cBut until you decide to stick around and be Klaus\u2019 Drusilla to his Spike, you\u2019re not going to taste blood.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t want to be his Drusilla,\u201d Bella looked up to Kol and pushed the pancake she was holding in his mouth. \u201cI want to be his Buffy. But seeing she\u2019s not a vampire, I suppose I\u2019ll have to settle to being his Drusilla, I don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHow about just be the Bella to his Klaus, huh?\u201d Jeri said kindly as she looked around Kol. It was nice and all that he wanted to protect her from the transitioning girl, but she didn\u2019t need protecting. She was going to be fine even if Bella killed her. Less trauma for the girl, and more fun for Jeri. \u201cAnd what kind of person are you, Bella? Would you like a ring, bracelet or necklace? With your clumsiness, I think a ring would be best\u2026\u201d she looked at Klaus and smiled. \u201cA ring so she won\u2019t turn crispy in the sun? You know, in case she says yes?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI have a question,\u201d Bella said as she had given up on Jeri, Kol was in her way, and that sucked. \u201cI can\u2019t believe I haven\u2019t asked this before, but how do you get your blood?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s freshly squeezed out of one of our servants every serving,\u201d Klaus replied as he had calmed down somewhat. His brother was a menace, but at least he also knew how to interrupt without it being an interruption.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cDo they volunteer their blood?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cBella, you\u2019re not going to drink animal blood, are you?\u201d Kol groaned as he turned around to watch her walk back to Klaus. \u201cThat\u2019s disgusting.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cNo, no animal blood, absolutely not,\u201d she shot at him before looking back at Klaus. \u201cYou compel them?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t want that. But I don\u2019t want innocent people to die either, so how is that going to work?\u201d She put her arms around Klaus and looked up to him. \u201cI feel like I\u2019m a little bit too demanding\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOh, no you\u2019re not love, and you raise a valid point,\u201d he ran his hand through her hair. \u201cWe know what your stance is on compulsion or any other method of control, and I was thinking that maybe we should indeed stop doing that to our servants.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhat?\u201d Kol sputtered. \u201cNik!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThey get paid for serving food, they get paid for everything, and we compel them to forget that we\u2019re vampires the moment they walk out the door. Why not have a change in diet? I\u2019m pretty sure that there are deviant humans out there, we could keep them in our basement and feed off of them, have them donate their blood,\u201d he said with a smirk. \u201cYou know, those bastards who don\u2019t get picked up by the police, I\u2019m pretty sure that New Orleans has a fair amount of them.\u201d Klaus looked at Bella again and smiled. \u201cWould that be satisfying for you, love? Should you turn and need to feed that it\u2019ll only be on a bad person?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI think that would be great,\u201d she smiled up at him.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Oh, he was so grateful for Kol and his wickedness, he was. Just like that, he had eased Bella\u2019s mood again and coaxed her out of her head. \u201cAlright love, was there anything else you were worried about?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAre you sure I won\u2019t become like them?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cNo,\u201d he smiled at her. \u201cYou simply turn into a stronger version of you. I have to admit, the first few days won\u2019t be very easy because you\u2019ll be ravenous and moody, but as you level out, you\u2019ll find yourself whole again.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAlthough, if you lose your quirks, I\u2019ll be the first one to pester you to just fake it then,\u201d Kol added playfully as he finished eating the pancakes. \u201cYou won\u2019t change. Everything gets heightened, and you\u2019ll have to find a way to deal with them. Easy peasy after what you\u2019ve been through.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cNow,\u201d Jeri said as she moved closer towards Bella and Klaus. \u201cIf you\u2019ve made your decision\u2026\u201d she got her knife out of her pocket and slid open her wrist. \u201cHave at it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOh, that does smell good,\u201d Bella said as she looked at the blood flowing from Jeri\u2019s wrist. She wanted to take a sip but found herself unable to move as Klaus held her tightly. \u201cKlaus!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhat are you doing?\u201d Kol demanded as he pulled Jeri back to him and quickly covered her wrist with a cloth. \u201cHave you lost your mind?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhat? She\u2019s going to turn, and that will make me the only mortal in this building. No thanks. And you promised.\u201d She sulked as she poked Kol in the chest with a knife. \u201cJust as I promised to be on your side, you and your family\u2019s side, forever. Someone like me could come in very handy for you guys.\u201d She pouted when Kol took away the knife. \u201cBesides, she\u2019ll have a few sips of my blood, and she\u2019ll turn. It\u2019s not like she\u2019ll actually kill me. She won\u2019t do that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cShe has my blood running through her veins, Jeri. If anything, she won\u2019t stop,\u201d Klaus said with a low growl as Bella was struggling against his hold.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t care! I\u2019d rather have her drink from me than she has to do it from a stranger. Her first time is special!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAnd what if it doesn\u2019t work?\u201d Kol asked quietly. \u201cWhat if she does kill you, and you don\u2019t come back?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI will come back, I have your blood in me. And with my family history? I\u2019ll definitely come back as a Heretic. I\u2019ve done my research, trust me. I\u2019ll be here.\u201d Jeri thought for a moment. \u201cYou know what? Maybe it\u2019s safer to wait until the moon\u2019s out. The full moon is always stronger, more chance for me to survive it the way I want.\u201d She held up her wrist for Kol to heal. \u201cOr you know, she could have a few sips now, complete the transition and then she can feed on me later.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cShe\u2019ll kill you, Jeri.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAnd I\u2019ll come back, you halfwit! And if you two are going to stop me, then you\u2019re mistaken. I\u2019m powerful enough to stick the both of you behind the wallpaper and have Bella feed on me anyway, I\u2019m playing nice here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYou\u2019ve lost your mind!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cNo, I haven\u2019t. I have wanted to do this ever since I heard of the coven\u2019s demise and the destruction of Mystic Falls by the Heretics. I want to do good, Kol. Help people. It\u2019s what I do best. As a Heretic, I can function on my own without drawing power from anyone magical, it\u2019ll make me stop feeling like a leech. You know this. I told you this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI know but\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAnd Bella here, she\u2019ll be hungry. Starved. Have you even stopped for a moment and thought about how a kill would change her life? I\u2019d rather have her first to be me than some random stranger you guys picked up on the streets. I come back; it won\u2019t be as hard on her considering I&#8217;ve been trying to get you fuckers to kill me all this time. I love this crazy family but boy, you people are idiots sometimes.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cPlease?\u201d Bella looked up to Klaus, a hopeful look on her face. \u201cI\u2019ll be good, I promise.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s not you I\u2019m worried about, love,\u201d Klaus said as he held her closer. \u201cIt\u2019s her.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAfter all she did for you, for us, you still don\u2019t trust her? I do. I appreciate her honesty and her treating everyone equally. I don\u2019t think she\u2019ll do anything to hurt Kol or you, or the rest of your family.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYou\u2019re just saying that because you want her blood.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cNo, I\u2019m not,\u201d she said as she shook her head. \u201cYou can\u2019t see it, can you? She has nothing but respect for you and your family. She has a big mouth and speaks out of place, but she speaks her mind and changes yours on occasion because she has valid points. She deserves to change, Klaus. She is willing to give me her blood now, and I can have more later.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cSo it is about the blood.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She hit him in the chest with her fist. \u201cI trust her more than I trust Marcel.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cShe has a point,\u201d Kol said, and then playfully smirked. \u201cAnd if it doesn\u2019t work out, Niklaus, at least we\u2019ll have a challenge in killing her.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Klaus growled lowly as he leveled his eyes on Jeri, ignoring another punch coming from Bella. \u201cYou feel more confident around the full moon?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWell, sure, I can draw power from that to speed up the process of me healing. But I doubt anything will go wrong,\u201d she said with a shrug. \u201cBut she needs blood now. She needs to complete her transition because right now she\u2019s doing fine, but you know very well that the longer she waits, the weaker she gets, and she won\u2019t be able to drink blood at all. She\u2019ll probably won\u2019t get hungry until tonight anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He took hold of Bella\u2019s wrists as she wanted to punch him again and smiled at her. \u201cLove, that didn\u2019t hurt me at all but did you work through your anger?\u201d He asked amused. \u201cFinished your little tantrum?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt wasn\u2019t a tantrum; I was trying to prove a point.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYou can prove a point without hurting people, love.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAnd you just said I didn\u2019t hurt you at all,\u201d she beamed up at him. \u201cSo how does that work?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He had to admit, he was slightly amused by this Bella. She was antsy and wanted Jeri\u2019s blood, but her heightened senses weren\u2019t allowing her to be so closed off. He hoped it\u2019d stick once she fully turned. It was adorable. \u201cAre you sure, love? Do you really want to complete your transition?\u201d He wanted to know she was sure, but he couldn\u2019t even be happier as of this moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cKlaus, I want to stay with you,\u201d she smiled up to him, so much love was in her eyes that filled his heart with glee. \u201cI want us to become better together. I want to continue what we\u2019ve started and be part of your family. So I can annoy Kol the way he annoyed me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cVery well then. Just a sip. You can have her all to yourself tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Kol scowled at his brother as he wrapped his hand around Jeri a little possessively. &#8220;I take offense to that! She will be mine!&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jeri huffed as she swatted his hand away from her. \u201cDoes it really have to take someone else&#8217;s drinking my blood for you to agree to this? Idiot. Tough. The girl will need to feed, and she\u2019s going to do that on me. If you want to have some of my blood, you two better share.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m still not liking it!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/meekobuggy.com\/?page_id=256\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"250\" height=\"168\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/meekobuggy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/next1.jpg?resize=250%2C168&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-214\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/meekobuggy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/next1.jpg?w=250&amp;ssl=1 250w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/meekobuggy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/next1.jpg?resize=150%2C101&amp;ssl=1 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 250px) 100vw, 250px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Chapter 09 \u201cEdward, what did you do?!\u201d Rosalie screeched as Bella was being brought before her and Carlisle. Rosalie didn\u2019t look all too pleased, but Bella felt fine. Super fine, if she had to be honest.&nbsp; \u201cI didn\u2019t do anything and watch your tongue, sister,\u201d he countered and nearly threw&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"continue-reading-button\"> <a class=\"continue-reading-link\" href=\"https:\/\/meekobuggy.com\/?page_id=252\">Continue reading<i class=\"crycon-right-dir\"><\/i><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":216,"parent":217,"menu_order":8,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-252","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v24.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Chapter 09 - MeekoBuggy<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Chapter 09 - MeekoBuggy\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Chapter 09 \u201cEdward, what did you do?!\u201d Rosalie screeched as Bella was being brought before her and Carlisle. Rosalie didn\u2019t look all too pleased, but Bella felt fine. Super fine, if she had to be honest.&nbsp; \u201cI didn\u2019t do anything and watch your tongue, sister,\u201d he countered and nearly threw... 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Rosalie didn\u2019t look all too pleased, but Bella felt fine. Super fine, if she had to be honest.&nbsp; \u201cI didn\u2019t do anything and watch your tongue, sister,\u201d he countered and nearly threw... 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