{"id":646,"date":"2024-08-18T14:47:51","date_gmt":"2024-08-18T14:47:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/meekobuggy.com\/?page_id=646"},"modified":"2024-08-18T15:04:31","modified_gmt":"2024-08-18T15:04:31","slug":"chapter-10","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/meekobuggy.com\/?page_id=646","title":{"rendered":"Chapter 10"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Chapter 10<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Bella awoke with her teeth sunk into someone\u2019s neck. She loved the taste of blood, to hear the life slowly leave her victim\u2019s body. Bella found this strange; this immense like of blood. It wasn\u2019t merely a like, it felt like a need, almost as if she needed more to prevent herself from dying. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cKol, are you quite done?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bella sighed exasperatedly, wondering why she was being referred to as Kol. She released her meal and sat up, looking up at Elijah, who was wearing the funniest of clothes. \u201cOh, bother, Elijah! Is this truly necessary?\u201d It was as if she didn\u2019t have any control over her actions but as if she was in someone else\u2019s body – Kol\u2019s. What was going on?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBrother, the road is a major thoroughfare– if the bodies are found, word of our presence will spread to Mikael,\u201d Elijah sounded spooked and impatient. Come to think of it, there was a feeling of fear inside of her – Kol – , as well. <\/p>\n\n\n\n


\u201cWe have run through autumn and winter, through sleet and snow… Are we cursed to forever live in fear of our father?\u201d Rebekah was fed up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


\u201cI should say yes, sadly.\u201d Bella found it humorous that Finn sounded like a boring stick in the mud even back then, nothing had changed. She nearly applauded when Elijah pointed at Finn in annoyance. The pointing thing hadn\u2019t disappeared at all. Deciding to ignore the rest of the siblings, Bella could feel her move back to drinking the man Kol had been feeding off of.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFinn, please. Niklaus–\u201d Elijah looked back at his brother who was petting the horse, trying to find some backup in the argument he was having with his siblings. <\/p>\n\n\n\n


\u201cDo we have any idea where we’re running to next?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once the man was fully drained of his blood, the body was dropped on the floor and Bella could feel herself standing up and walking towards the rest of the Mikaelsons, letting out a deep sigh. \u201cWhy not just do what we’ve all thought of doing? Split up!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n


\u201cWe swore a vow!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n


\u201cYour vows haunt me more than Father himself, Nik! At least he can’t chase us all. I say we take our chances.\u201d Kol felt alone, even with his siblings. Finn, Rebekah and Elijah did everything in their power to protect their brother Nik and Kol hated that. What about him? He didn\u2019t want to do everything in his power to protect Nik as he was more than capable of doing himself. Nobody listened to him anyway. What was his role in this family?

\u201cPerhaps Kol is right–\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Really? Finn stood up for him? Oh, he was hopeful now. \u201cThank you, Finn! Yeah, I’ve always said, \u2018Oldest is the most intelligent–\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n


\u201cStop talking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The rejection hit hard. Bella could tell this wasn\u2019t the first time Kol had felt rejected by his family, but this broke her heart. Finn was a jerk and he made her angry. And hungry. Oh, maybe there was a dead body left with some blood in them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What happened next was she was hit by rejection upon rejection upon rejection in the various moments of Kol\u2019s life, all the way to France, where they hid as nobility, to Italy, where they lived together for awhile. She loved how Kol felt when he was alone with Klaus; causing chaos and mayhem all over, feeding indiscreetly and partying as if they had nothing to lose. Elijah was often the one reminding them to be more careful, but Kol always managed to pull Klaus along with him. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To stave off boredom, and to protect themselves from the so-called \u201cFive\u201d, they pretended to be mortals and Kol grew incredibly bored. It was no fun to play hide and seek with his victims and the many whores he bedded weren\u2019t enough either. Oh, he was a gluttonous pig, alright, but at least his temporary bedmates gave him the attention he so desperately craved from his siblings. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

After being daggered the first time by a member of the Five and thankfully rescued by his brothers, Kol decided he had had enough and left his family behind. What followed were years of fun, enlightenment and intelligence; soaking up all the information of the witches; learning from them and teaching others. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Revisiting their Viking roots, he joined his siblings in Copenhagen for awhile before following them to Spain, despite being hit again and again by rejection and pain. Kol drew comfort from the fact that at least Finn was still daggered and unable to pester him. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

~o.O.o~<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWow, I had no idea that it would actually work,\u201d Kol said surprised. \u201cI mean, traditional magic didn\u2019t work, but dark objects?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWell, you\u2019ve been contemplating on it for the last two years on how to bring her down,\u201d Damon shot at Kol. \u201cNow you\u2019ve got your answers. Congratulations,\u201d he added sarcastically. \u201cAnd you had to use me, seriously? Dude, she\u2019s going to be so mightily pissed with you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou were the only one who could get close enough and you haven\u2019t been back on vervain due to your vacation to that prison world so,\u201d Kol shrugged. \u201cMeans to an end.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOh, I could get close,\u201d Klaus said casually. \u201cBut I refused. I prefer to stay on her good side.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSo, where do you think she is now?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kol looked at Damon and shrugged. \u201cCould be Copenhagen\u2026 could be Spain\u2026 or somewhere in between.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI still think it\u2019s appalling that you created a dark object to put us through your misery, Kol,\u201d Elijah said disapprovingly as he watched the last compelled waiter take away the extra chairs and tables they had used for their dinner surprise. \u201cIf anything, you made your own life miserable.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSure, Elijah, remind me to use it on you next, then,\u201d Kol retorted angrily. \u201cBecause admit it, the only reason I\u2019m currently still out of my box is because of her, and because of the spell that was put upon us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHe has a point,\u201d Rebekah said from her spot in one of the comfortable chairs Bella\u2019s room offered. \u201cMaybe forcing her to live through Kol\u2019s misery isn\u2019t the best solution to our problems, but it\u2019s all we\u2019ve got. It likely won\u2019t fix anything.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kol toyed with Bella\u2019s hair to stop himself from lashing out. \u201cProbably not, but she needed the time out before she\u2019d do something stupid. She may not like us very much for our betrayal, but there was no point reasoning with her.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYeah, she pretty much wants your balls on a silver platter,\u201d Damon snorted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat\u2019s only because she\u2019s inside her head. She\u2019s good at making the decision to listen to her head or her heart instead of having them work in harmony. She\u2019s done this before,\u201d Myriam took a sip of her glass of wine. \u201cBut it wasn\u2019t as bad as this and we could talk her out of it all. Perhaps learning a bit more about the history of the Mikaelsons will jolt her back to using both.\u201d She let out a breath then and took another sip. \u201cHer heart got broken, maybe seeing Kol persevere through his misery and achieve things will warm her heart a little and coax it to mend itself a little.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWouldn\u2019t it be simpler to call out to Hades and have him instruct her again?\u201d Elijah asked, but already knew the answer when Kol, Myriam and Damon narrowed their eyes on him in anger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou would like that, wouldn\u2019t you?\u201d Kol snapped. \u201cIf it were possible, you would run off to Hades or any Greek God and tell them about Bella and how she\u2019s misbehaving. That she\u2019s wrong. There\u2019s nothing more that you want. You want them to take her away from us. From me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cShe doesn\u2019t even want you anymore, Kol.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBecause I wronged her!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOh, that gives me a shot, doesn\u2019t it?\u201d Damon smirked as he sat down on the floor. \u201cOh, me and Bella, the possibilities\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHardly, mate,\u201d Klaus finally spoke up, an amused smile on his face. \u201cBella\u2019s biological father was Zach Salvatore.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThen again,\u201d Myriam added playfully. \u201cShe\u2019s a demi-goddess of the Greek variety, the gods are known to sleep with their relatives.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOh, no. No, no, no, no,\u201d Damon shook his head. \u201cYou\u2019re messing with me!\u201d Oh god, what if somehow Zach\u2019s baby with Gail survived all these years ago and grew up to be Bella? Talk about epic guilt trip.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAsk her yourself when she comes to,\u201d Klaus laughed and looked over to his brother, who still had his eyes firmly fixed on his other brother. \u201cKol,\u201d he warned him. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDo you still carry a dagger on you, Nik?\u201d Kol questioned, slowly rising to his feet. \u201cBecause I\u2019m just itching to put one into Elijah.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elijah blinked as he got his handkerchief and started to toy with it. \u201cWhat did I do?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYour suggestion of returning her to Hades doesn\u2019t sit well with me, brother,\u201d Kol could feel his anger echo through his body, he needed to kill something or dagger his brother, or likely both. \u201cBecause if you\u2019ve been paying attention, that would mean she won\u2019t ever return at all.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWould her absence be such a bad thing?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He lunged at Elijah then, wanting to throttle him, but Klaus interjected and blocked Kol\u2019s path to his brother. \u201cNik!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAs much as I would like to kill our brother for that remark, let\u2019s not,\u201d Klaus said calmly, pushing his younger brother away from their oldest. \u201cNeed I to remind you he\u2019s still spelled?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSpelled or not, he\u2019s never liked her,\u201d Kol said, venom dripping from his words. \u201cBut even Rebekah wouldn\u2019t go as far as wanting Bella to permanently leave!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elijah huffed as he tucked away his handkerchief. \u201cVery well, then allow me to finish what she started. I shall go to the Regent and broker a deal with her so she\u2019ll leave us, and Bella, alone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Damon objected. \u201cI don\u2019t think that\u2019s a good idea.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cStay out of this, Damon, you\u2019re not part of this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou made me a part of this! You compelled me to be all buddy buddy with Bella and give her that stupid stone and thus I should have a say in things. You don\u2019t want to interfere with Bella\u2019s plans when it comes to the Regent. Trust her.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat\u2019s the problem, he doesn\u2019t,\u201d Rebekah replied, bored. \u201cFact of the matter is that I don\u2019t, either, but she seems to be able to work miracles. If Elijah wishes to speak to the Regent, who are we to stop him? He always gets results.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou people are unbelievable,\u201d Damon threw his hands up in defeat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

~o.O.o~<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oh, Kol sensed the arrival of his brothers long before they started to shout his name to come forward and have a \u2018chat\u2019. He\u2019d seen the fires of Cadiz, it wasn\u2019t his problem. Kol was bored and had thrown himself a party. He could only imagine the look on his siblings\u2019 faces once they\u2019d enter the cottage. Elijah would be severely appalled and disgusted, and Nik would be somewhere between amused and disgusted, unless there was something else going on. Then Nik would be absolutely pissed off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kol wasn\u2019t scared of Nik. Or Elijah. <\/p>\n\n\n\n


\u201cAll of my efforts to keep this family concealed, yet debauchery like this has led Father directly to us,\u201d Elijah sounded aggravated, just as Kol had suspected. The high and mighty Elijah didn\u2019t like baby brother making a mess.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


\u201cKol! Show yourself! This is no time for games!\u201d Klaus shouted at nothing in particular.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Oh, perhaps it was time to see what his brothers wanted from him. Dragging the woman he was feeding of with him, he stumbled back into the cottage for the shock effect and it worked. Draining the woman to death, he dropped her to the floor and smiled widely at his siblings. \u201cCome, come, brother! It’s always time for games!\u201d He reached for the nearest mug filled with alcohol and lifted it towards Klaus in a toast.

\u201cWe must leave. Mikael is very nearly upon us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sighing, Kol sat down and put his feet on the table, relaxing in his seat. \u201cElijah, if Mikael were upon us, I imagine Niklaus would be quite dead.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n


\u201cI barely escaped! Father left the head of my horse on a pike in the town square!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n


\u201cAw, he killed poor Theo? What a beast! But then, Father’s always hated you most. Surely he’ll chase you if you flee, leaving me here. Perhaps I’ll make myself mayor?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n


\u201cRebekah and Finn have already boarded the ship. It is imperative we remain together.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bella could already see the rest of the scene unfold; Kol was going to be even more uncooperative and his brothers would dagger him. It was his biggest fear. He wasn\u2019t afraid of his siblings; he was afraid of the dagger. <\/p>\n\n\n\n


\u201cNo! I swear to you, the day will come when I’m not so easily subdued! And on that day, I will make you suffer!\u201d Kol objected as he struggled against Elijah\u2019s hold on him. <\/p>\n\n\n\n


\u201cPerhaps! But, today is not that day,\u201d Klaus replied as he shoved the dagger into Kol\u2019s heart. The pain of the dagger entering his body, piercing his skin, flesh and bones and his heart was too much. Then the desiccation began; his skin contracting and drying out, freezing him in place. It didn\u2019t feel as bad as when he was daggered by one of the Five. No, this was worse. Elijah and Klaus manhandled him, throwing him over a horse so they could ride to safety; there was no doubt another coffin was waiting for him at the ship. With every bump, it felt as if the dagger slipped in further and further. It felt as if his veins were breaking and anything else in his body shifting from one side to the other. The motion made him sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bella wanted to scream but couldn\u2019t. As she had already proven once, being desiccated didn\u2019t mean you didn\u2019t feel, hear, anything anymore. Kol heard and felt everything. The motion of the ship. The rats scurrying around in the hold over his coffin. The feeling of fire underneath his skin, slowly burning and never gaining intensity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It seemed like an eternity until Kol felt hope again from being daggered. Klaus\u2019 voice was faint, but getting closer by the second. \u201cIf only there was someone with whom I could share a bit of roguery. Oh, yes! That’s right! There is!\u201d Kol could feel how Klaus pulled the dagger from his chest and for the first time in a very long time, Kol\u2019s body slowly returned back to normal and he was freaking hungry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Elijah sounded horrified. \u201cYou didn’t!\u201d Kol couldn\u2019t find himself to care for poor Elijah, he was thankful Nik allowed him his freedom, but where were they? As his brother laughed like a madman and ran off to distract Elijah, Kol willed himself to wake up fully and stumble out of the coffin, looking for blood. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kol applauded his brother for having such nice tasting servants and clapped after he finished the last one. \u201cBravo! That was delectable. But make no mistake, Nik– I’m still cross that you daggered me. But, as far as apologies go, it’s a start!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSo, this is your idea of fun?\u201d Elijah was angry with Nik. This was fascinating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


\u201cWell, you and Marcellus have grown thick as thieves… why should I be alone?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A flash of regret washed over him before he quickly dismissed it. If he had to believe Nik\u2019s words, and his own feelings, it meant that the only reason Kol was out of the box was that his brother was bored. Who was this Marcellus, anyway? Where were they on the planet? What year was it? How long had he been out for?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over the course of a couple of days, Kol discovered who Marcellus truly was; some slave boy Nik had saved from his masters and wanted to raise as his own. Great, one more person to fight for for attention. Apparently, Elijah had stepped in at some point and the boy had now become Elijah\u2019s little toy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

New Orleans was a blast; having fun with Nik was just amazing. Especially when they went to that tenement building and slaughtered all those people. Because it was fun and because they could. Elijah, of course, wasn\u2019t happy. He was going off again about keeping a low profile and Niklaus being amused by the fact that Elijah had time to keep an eye on his younger brothers seeing as he was taking care of Marcellus all the time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kol should have listened to his own fears. Disappointment and rejection were once again the main feelings he was having right now; and hunger. He always got hungry when getting too emotional about stuff. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou would punish the boy for Kol’s antics? I would just as soon put him in a box!\u201d
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oh, for fuck\u2019s sake. \u201cYou’d choose that little whelp over your own family?\u201d That was offensive. That is offensive. Kol was offended. Just as he thought, he was going to have to fight this little whelp for his brother\u2019s attention. <\/p>\n\n\n\n


\u201cThat “little whelp” is our family!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That was it. The boy, family? Very well. Kol was going to teach the boy something of his own; what it\u2019s like to be a vampire, what things you\u2019d do as a vampire. He was going to scare the boy shitless and perhaps the boy would run away. For good. Out of their lives. The easier thing would just to kill him, but that was the easy way out. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wasn\u2019t Elijah teaching him Hamlet? Oh, he knew that there was a daggering hanging over his head, why not go out with a little bit more fun?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As expected, his real life teachings of Hamlet to Marcellus was perhaps a little bit too much fun, but he got his revenge on his brothers in the end despite being daggered. Oh, Kol had plans, and he was going to make them all come true once Nik would undagger him again. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kol wasn\u2019t Finn. Kol was fun and smart and someone his brother Niklaus occasionally liked to have fun with. Kol wasn\u2019t going to be daggered for long, he knew that now. He wasn\u2019t happy about it and one day he wasn\u2019t going to be daggered anymore. No, it would be Niklaus who would be in this situation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kemiya <\/em>taught him to make Dark Objects. If only he could find a couple of witches to work with him\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It took eighty long years for Nik to finally undagger him again, with a request for help. Seeing as Kol liked the witches so much, maybe he could help bring some sort of balance in the supernatural community of New Orleans. Kol was surprised they were still in New Orleans. His family must truly like it here. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instead of acting out, Kol went to work like the good little drone that he was, hopefully gaining the respect of his siblings, some inclusion, but he was kept out of the holy trinity, as always. He kept his head down and occasion acted out, but nothing that would warrant another daggering. No, he needed to bide his time to construct a weapon that would subdue his brother. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Funnily enough, the first task he had his witches do was to make a Dark Object filled with his suffering, a means to show his brothers how badly they\u2019ve treated him. It was a simple rock, but oh so much more. Once he was certain his witches were ready for more, he taught them everything he knew and made sure they worked round the clock as they also tried to figure out a way to have a weapon against Niklaus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He feared he was going to be daggered after the glorious mass murder at St. Anne\u2019s Church where Kol used a Dark Object to kill Dowager Fauline so he could gain access to her home. Presumably, she was in possession of a diamond that could help Kol and his witches construct that weapon – now a dagger – a lot faster and make it a lot more powerful. They got caught, obviously, and Klaus had his witches spell the cottage to lock up Kol\u2019s witches. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And there wasn\u2019t a dagger for him. Citing that it was nearly Christmas, Elijah and Niklaus told him it was an early Christmas present; to allow him to walk among the living. Kol, believing every word they said, loved Christmas and hoped that the spirit of forgiveness would stay around a bit longer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

At their annual Christmas party, Kol told Rebekah about his plans against his brother, despite their supposed peace treaty, and later that evening, he regretted that decision. The always ever so loyal Rebekah betrayed him and Kol found himself daggered yet again. This time in front of a party full of witnesses. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So much rage and anger. It only seemed to grow over the years. It broke Bella\u2019s heart to know Kol had suffered so much at the hands of his family, that they rejected him time and again. That they never took him seriously, that he was always looking in from the outside. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The rage and anger reminded her of her own, but then magnified by the vampire senses and magnified by years and years of being treated like shit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And then, she heard her own voice, and Kol\u2019s anger and rage quieted down, listening intently to the words spoken to him. How her voice and her words warmed his soul and how much he wanted to be undaggered so he could meet her. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But Bella was still raging. If this experience had been the result of Kol\u2019s Dark Object – which it likely was seeing as Damon gave her a stone – he did the one thing to her that he hated himself; giving her a timeout. The thing he had spoken to \u2018Davina\u2019 about, something that had been two years in the making and she felt betrayed. Again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When she finally snapped out of the hold the Dark Object had on her, she flung everyone away from her but Klaus as she sat up with a scowl on her face. Pulling Klaus down to her level, she snapped his neck and retrieved the dagger he kept on him at all times before using her gift to drive it through Kol\u2019s heart, causing him to collapse onto the floor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cUhoh,\u201d Damon said in a singsong voice. \u201cSomeone\u2019s in trouble\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cShut up,\u201d Bella growled. \u201cShut up! How long have I been out for?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Damon shrugged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDamon!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat? You told me to shut up!\u201d Damon retorted as he blinked at her. \u201cFine, you were out for a week.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI was out for a week!\u201d Bella was clearly annoyed as she started to pace around the room. \u201cI was out for a fucking week?! How dare you do that to me!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWell, you were kinda difficult to reason with\u2026\u201d Damon shrugged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOh, that\u2019s the solution to everything, isn\u2019t it? Snap necks, daggering, oh, and dark objects! Just use \u2018em whenever someone becomes too difficult!\u201d She fumed. \u201cI wasn\u2019t difficult to reason with, I have every right to feel what I\u2019m feeling and for refusing their help<\/em> or attentions<\/em>. You\u2019re all a bunch of stupid assholes!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHey, they thought you were out of control, alright?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am not!\u201d Bella growled. \u201cI\u2019m fucking pissed off now. I didn\u2019t need to know what Kol\u2019s been through with the multiple daggerings, with the adjusting to new situations every time he woke up. I didn\u2019t need to be given a fucking time out!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAlright, potty mouth, go rinse your mouth with soap!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFuck you, Damon.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Damon groaned as he shifted uncomfortably, moving his hands to his groin area as he was still up against the wall. \u201cYou really need to stop swearing because damn, I\u2019m so turned on right now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bella dropped him to the floor in disgust. \u201cEw!\u201d Seeing as it was just her, Damon, Klaus and Kol in the room at the moment, Bella went to her clothes and grabbed a clean pair – although she was certain someone had redressed her at least a couple of times during her week of Kol\u2019s life – before heading into the bathroom and locking herself in. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

She had every right to be angry with the Mikaelsons and with the Ancestors. Every fucking right. However, she had the idea that even in her hotel room, she wasn\u2019t safe from the Ancestors despite Hades\u2019 gift and needed to fix this mess and disappear. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

 She only hoped Elijah hadn\u2019t gone to the Regent himself as that might have complicated things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oh, she wanted to go back to being normal. Look at things from the outside, but this was a mess that was related to her and she couldn\u2019t back down. Bella also needed to make sure Hades didn\u2019t have to intervene anymore. Just the sheer thought of having only one more chance to prove herself not to fuck up was anxiety inducing. Didn\u2019t Helios tell her that Psyche thought she was a good egg? What was up Hades\u2019 ass to think differently?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By the time she was done soaking in the bath, she could hear people shuffling around on the other side of the door. She figured that Klaus wouldn\u2019t stay down that long, and hell was going to be paid if he\u2019d undaggered Kol. Bella got dressed and pulled her damp hair back into a ponytail before leaving the room. Myriam had returned and Klaus was looking severely annoyed, but at least Kol was still daggered, now resting comfortably on the bed in the space she had just vacated. \u201cSup?\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou better explain yourself,\u201d Klaus shot at her. \u201cDaggering my brother?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOh, so now it\u2019s an issue?\u201d Bella retorted, raising an eyebrow before moving to the mini fridge in the hotel room to find herself something to snack on. \u201cYou haven\u2019t had any problems with him daggered in the past.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat\u2019s irrelevant!\u201d Klaus huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bella settled for a chocolate bar and turned to face him. \u201cThe way I see it, you daggered him as soon as he became a handful. Even chose that kid over him, your own flesh and blood. Now, I daggered him out of retaliation for having spent the last two years thinking of ways to neutralize me. He knows what it\u2019s like, he should have known better. I daggered him because he compelled Damon to give me that Dark Object. I daggered him because I really don\u2019t want to deal with him right now because I have other things to think about.\u201d Sitting down next to Kol on the bed, she gently poked his cheek. \u201cAnd seeing that I know he hears everything, he\u2019ll agree that this is the right thing to do. Eye for an eye and all that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou\u2019re such a Mikaelson,\u201d Myriam laughed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHe doesn\u2019t like me very much right now,\u201d Bella said as she pushed Kol\u2019s hair out of his face. \u201cAlready thinking of ways to get even with me, but let me tell you something, we\u2019re far from being even. Despite your shitty relationship with Klaus in the past, it doesn\u2019t make up for the fact you rejected me and broke my heart by not waiting for me. So, suck it up, cupcake. You\u2019re mine now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Klaus sucked in a breath as he uncomfortably balanced on his feet. \u201cLove, if you wish for Kol to remain daggered, I\u2019d appreciate it if he\u2019d come home with me, in his coffin.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe hell he is,\u201d Bella retorted angrily. \u201cHe doesn\u2019t like the coffin and I\u2019m not that cruel. He\u2019s going to stay in this bed for as long as I see fit. Nice and comfortable.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat about house keeping?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rolling her eyes at the hybrid, she got off the bed, grabbed the \u2018do not disturb\u2019 sign and hung it outside the door. \u201cFixed. What else?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhy won\u2019t you come back and stay with us at the compound?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not safe,\u201d Bella replied as she took a bite off her chocolate bar. \u201cFor any of us but I don\u2019t want you to stay here either. Kol stays. You go,\u201d she continued before realizing something. \u201cPlease tell me you haven\u2019t gone to the Regent.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cElijah paid her a visit and it was all courteous,\u201d Klaus replied as he watched Bella munch on her chocolate. \u201cPerhaps you should have some proper food, love.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLater,\u201d she replied. \u201cCourteous, you say? Are you sure they haven\u2019t done anything else? Like\u2026 used more spells but not the one that tells you to hate me?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe wouldn\u2019t know, love, Myriam still carries around that coin and I seem to be left alone,\u201d Klaus replied truthfully. \u201cWhenever someone came to watch over you, we made sure they\u2019d touch your arm or hand before being left alone with you. Hopefully to cleanse them of new things.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bella hummed as she made her way over to Damon. \u201cDo you dislike me?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo, I like you very much. Very grateful you didn\u2019t snap my neck after you woke up.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFeeling extra hungry lately?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYes. And Kol\u2019s been worse. Rebekah and Elijah have resorted to blood bags but they\u2019re running out.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAs it happens, the hospitals and blood banks in New Orleans had to destroy the entire lot for all the batches were infected with something,\u201d Myriam offered worriedly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat about the other vampires in town?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t think that the Ancestors would play with the lives of innocent humans or their own witches, do you?\u201d Klaus said shocked. \u201cDeliberately have vampires draw attention to themselves?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cChaos, mayhem. Of course. They want you to keep busy to control your vampires so you\u2019re not with me,\u201d Bella ruffled Damon\u2019s hair and saw the black halo around his head disappear before she hopped back onto the bed with Kol, his desiccated body bouncing on the mattress. Sighing, she settled against the headrest and felt an uneasiness creep over her. \u201cThis room used to be safe, but I have a feeling it\u2019s no longer that way due to whatever the Ancestors have been doing. Go home, take Damon with you. Kol\u2019s safe with me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m not going anywhere without my brother,\u201d Klaus pointed out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYeah and I\u2019m not leaving you,\u201d Damon added defiantly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bella looked at Damon, Klaus and eventually settled on Myriam, who now also had her arms crossed over each other. Bella knew she was trying to fight a losing battle. \u201cFine. You guys stay here. I\u2019m heading out.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGood, where we going?\u201d Damon rose to his feet as Bella got off the bed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDamon.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBella,\u201d he replied in the same tone of voice she\u2019d used. \u201cI was obviously brought here for a reason and if that reason is to die with you, so be it. I\u2019m going where you\u2019re going and no turning me into an animal shenanigans; I\u2019ll shut up and be the muscle.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI don\u2019t need a babysitter.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYes you do. You\u2019ve always have and you always will, so, let\u2019s go sweet cheeks,\u201d Damon winked at her. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bella scowled and looked at Kol\u2019s dessicated body on the bed. A feeling of regret and guilt washed over her and she just couldn\u2019t leave him like this. Kol hated to be daggered and she had promised she\u2019d never allow him to be daggered ever again. On the other hand, he deserved it for betraying her, not once, but twice. Then again, she couldn\u2019t blame him for the betrayal and she feared that if she was going to hold on to that anger, it would only grow and grow until it spiralled out of control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just like it had. She could still feel it bubble underneath her skin, her own, but also his, as the memories put in that Dark Object were still fresh in the back of her mind. She had to control her anger, because she could damage so many people with it – she had to find a way to deal with it, later. For now, she just had to ignore it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Climbing back onto the bed, she cupped Kol\u2019s chin. \u201cListen to me,\u201d she said sternly. \u201cI am sorry for daggering you and I will remove it, but don\u2019t think for one second that it means there\u2019s nothing wrong between us. We\u2019re broken and I don\u2019t even know if I want it fixed yet. Got it?\u201d When she felt something positive return from him, Bella let out a breath. \u201cAgain, I am so sorry I broke my word about the dagger. It won\u2019t happen again.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pulling the dagger out of Kol\u2019s body was harder than she thought. Granted, she had used her powers to get it inside in the first place, but it had pierced his sternum and it felt like it had gotten stuck. She didn\u2019t want to hurt him as she tugged on it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAllow me,\u201d Klaus offered as he stood next to the bed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo,\u201d Bella replied as she imagined the dagger easing out of Kol\u2019s chest before it actually did that. Grabbing it after it had gotten free, she put it in her bag and headed out the door with Damon, carrying the bag with her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou\u2019re not giving Klaus the dagger?\u201d Damon said surprised. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019ll give it to Kol when he earned it,\u201d she replied with a shrug. The further she was from the hotel room, the calmer she felt and, as she stood outside, she cursed loudly. \u201cThose freaking witches know where I was the entire time and spelled the freaking room.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTime to move?\u201d Damon laughed. \u201cSeriously, now you\u2019re back, you should go and live with them in their compound.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHell no,\u201d Bella shook her head. \u201cNot until this is over and not until I\u2019ve earned my place back. Despite everything, I did leave for two years and it hurt them. I\u2019ll just have to move hotels.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBella\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDamon,\u201d she replied as she tried to ignore them being looked at. At least that hadn\u2019t changed in the last week. \u201cMaybe everything that happened was a sign or something. Kol and I moved way too fast – he\u2019s been with Davina longer than he has been with me! And sure, it felt good, great, even, but what if I was only drawn to him because of his extensive knowledge of things and everything else was just a result of excitement and hormones?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat\u2019s a load of crap and you know it, Bella,\u201d Damon chided her. \u201cYou love being with Kol and travel around. You love the Mikaelsons and consider them family, as they do you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She stopped walking and turned around to face him. \u201cI do. I care for all of them, deeply. Well, maybe Elijah can go to hell, but yeah, I care for them deeply. And what happens when I care deeply? I can get so scarily angry that I lose control over myself. Last week I was this<\/em> close to kill someone in order for the Ancestors to stop what they\u2019re doing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat\u2019s only natural.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYeah, it is. But I am too young to spend the rest of eternity not on Earth. I have one more chance, Damon. If I go out of line again because I\u2019m unable to control myself, then it\u2019s no more Bella. If this means I\u2019ll have to surround myself with people I don\u2019t care this much about, then so be it. The Mikaelsons will move on without me, they\u2019ve already proven that they can. Especially Kol,\u201d she sighed as she continued to walk towards the best pastry shop that she knew of. \u201cIt\u2019s better to leave them now than to be ripped out of their lives because I fucked up again.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI thought Hades taught you control?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYes, he did.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThen you have nothing to worry about, Bella.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bella pushed the door to the shop open. \u201cEasy for you to say,\u201d she muttered before ordering some pastries and then headed to the liquor store where she bought her favourite bottle of wine and the next stop was a chocolaterie to get some nice chocolates. She bought a beautiful basket from the market and put her gifts in there before she continued her way to the regent. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAll I\u2019m saying is they\u2019re big boys and girls and if they didn\u2019t want you back into their lives, they wouldn\u2019t have gone as far as they have in the last week,\u201d Damon was puzzled as to why Bella bought all these goodies and didn\u2019t taste some herself. He seriously thought she would go on a food binge after not having had anything to eat for the last week and he\u2019d been wrong. \u201cShouldn\u2019t you have like a sandwich?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m not hungry.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut—\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019ll be fine, now what was that what you said back at the hotel? You\u2019d shut up,\u201d she countered before picking up the pace. \u201cThe sooner this is over, the sooner you can go back to Mystic Falls.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat if I don\u2019t want to go back?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAnd leave Stefan?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYeah well, I might stay here. I\u2019ve always liked New Orleans,\u201d Damon mused as he put his hands in his pockets. \u201cDid I ever tell you about Charlotte?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou\u2019re still talking.\u201d She hopped onto a train cart and Damon followed her. Through her initial observations she had found the home of the Regent somewhere in the Garden District; which made sense as Josephine LaRue was originally a Garden District witch and Elder of that coven. She had a pretty snazzy house, too. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Josephine LaRue knew Bella was coming. That was the sole purpose of Bella not turning invisible once she stepped outside the hotel. Bella made sure she didn\u2019t do anything out of anger or malice, which was easier once she was away from the hotel room; it was freaking spelled and it sucked; she had liked that hotel room. Bella was going to approach this as if she was going to make an acquaintance with a new neighbor. And then demand her to back the fuck off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Damon followed her silently as they got off the cart, and after a few minutes, they arrived at the house. She wasn\u2019t surprised by the gaggle of witches in the yard, it was likely there were a couple of them inside as well; Bella was still perceived as a threat. \u201cNo vampires allowed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGood, then you won\u2019t mind him because he\u2019s my uncle.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHe\u2019s a vampire.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOr, I could turn him into a big, cuddly St. Bernard if you wish. He\u2019s with me,\u201d Bella said determined as she pulled Damon with her towards the door. They were reluctantly shown to the library, where the regent was waiting for them, nervously. Damon stayed near the door as Bella continued to walk in. \u201cMadame LaRue, such an honor to finally meet you,\u201d Bella smiled at her as she held out her basket filled with goodies. \u201cThis is for you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This gesture seemed to surprise the woman as she reluctantly took it and set it aside, likely to inspect its contents on poison later. The woman pointed to an empty chair. \u201cPlease, sit,\u201d she eventually said and Bella obeyed. \u201cWhat can I do for you, Ms. Swan?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOh, you know the answer to that,\u201d she replied with a smile. \u201cBut I didn\u2019t come here for just that, I\u2019m here to ease your worries and your fears. To offer my condolences because you\u2019ve lost a very powerful witch recently.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m not afraid,\u201d the woman huffed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOf course not,\u201d Bella replied calmly. \u201cJust like the Ancestors aren\u2019t afraid. I\u2019m being watched all day, every step I do gets documented. You\u2019ve spelled my family against me and now that you know where I\u2019ve been hiding, you\u2019ve been spelling my room. And I completely understand why you did all that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This baffled the old witch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen I crossed the bridge over the lake two years ago, I wasn\u2019t in control over my powers and I think that event must have scared you and your Ancestors deeply. If I could do that to regular spirits, then I could certainly take out the Ancestors and remove a large portion of the power of the New Orleans witches, am I correct?\u201d When the witch remained quiet, Bella continued. \u201cYou\u2019re afraid with my presence here, the balance of power will be disrupted, or tilted in favor of the vampires or whomever I pledge my allegiance to. So in order to try to get me out of New Orleans, you\u2019ve decided to spell my family to work against me. Have your witch Davina dig her claws deep into my now ex-boyfriend and just make the overall experience of being in New Orleans be as much of a pain as possible for me so I\u2019d leave.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m not denying that, no.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe first thing I did after I was released from my punishment for sending so many ghosts to Hades was to remove the power surge that the werewolves were having. Hadn\u2019t it been for me, and the Mikaelsons, the supernatural community of New Orleans would now be under werewolf law. By doing this, I preserved your precious balance and yet, that wasn\u2019t good enough.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou did it to save Niklaus Mikaelson, to restore his power.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSo he could fight the werewolves,\u201d Bella pointed out. \u201cI don\u2019t fight. To be honest with you, when I crossed all of those spirits over to the realm of Hades, it freaked me out. I had him dial that ability way down because I want to experience this city the way it\u2019s supposed to be experienced, and not to be overwhelmed by dead people. I know I hold more power than any of you and, yes, I could mean the end of Ancestral magic. You\u2019ve certainly given me more than enough reason to do so. But I won\u2019t. Because that\u2019s not who I am. All I ask is that you leave me and my family alone. Remove the spells and the influences so we can all go back to living our lives.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAnd what will we get in return?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cA not-pissed off Demi-Goddess whom you might need to ask a favor of in the future when something so bad comes to New Orleans you can\u2019t fix on your own,\u201d Bella replied swiftly, half shrugging. \u201cI don\u2019t want to be the big bad. The new threat in town. I just want to live. The Mikaelsons came back to New Orleans to live their lives. They have their own businesses, they\u2019re working, doing good for the community. You and the Ancestors are hampering them in their daily routines and you\u2019re stopping me from living my life with my family. Again, if you don\u2019t accept my proposal, I will have to end this myself and that would mean you and your witches won\u2019t have access to Ancestral Magic anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYour proposal is absurd,\u201d Madame LaRue said angrily. \u201cYou\u2019d still be here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYes, and as I said, I\u2019d owe you a favor.\u201d Bella countered. \u201cHow about this? You and the Ancestors drop everything you\u2019re doing right now to disrupt me and my family and allow us to live our lives in peace. The moment I step out of line, you can do whatever you want. However, should a wolf or a witch come after my family, I will protect them and that does not count towards this deal because after all, we\u2019re all still part human and there\u2019s laws that allow self defense. Give me time to prove we\u2019re not a threat. That I\u2019m not a threat. Allow us to remain having a dialogue about this and not do things out of precaution or out of fear.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat of Kol Mikaelson? He still needs to be punished for killing Davina Claire.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHer death is on you,\u201d Bella countered again. \u201cYou had her insert herself into the family and manipulate them from the inside, you should have seen it coming that she\u2019d end up getting herself killed. You can\u2019t blame Kol for wanting revenge for what she\u2019s done; ruining the relationship between two people who were madly in love with each other without hurting anyone. Destroying a happiness for him that he hadn\u2019t known in a very long time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEven if Bella hadn\u2019t returned, Davina would have ended up dead for it,\u201d Damon pointed out. \u201cYou decided to poke the proverbial bear. If not for Kol, it would have been Klaus because you had a damn hard time to keep him under your spell. Believe me, I\u2019ve been dealing with the Mikaelsons for a very long time and while they\u2019re not my bestest friends, I do appreciate how the Mikaelsons protect each other; family above all, no hesitation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAnd you are?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDamon Salvatore,\u201d he replied. \u201cBella\u2019s great great great uncle or something. My half-brother started the line where she\u2019s descendant of, which is still kinda creepy because I wanted to get into her pants.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bella wanted to stay respectful in this house, as a woman as old and gifted as the Regent would demand it and deserved it, and there he went, throwing that all out of the window. \u201cDamon!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Josephine smiled then. \u201cThat\u2019s alright, Ms. Swan, I appreciate that at least one of you doesn\u2019t pretend to be someone else.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHa!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bella narrowed her eyes on the woman. \u201cWho says I was pretending? I\u2019m merely treating you with the respect you deserve as a woman in your position, as I was taught to do by my parents. I doubt you would have wanted to speak with me if I walked in in anger, disrespecting you and your witches but I\u2019m not. Because I do have a brain and common sense, something he severely lacks.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHey!\u201d Damon said hurt. \u201cYou know I have a problem with authority figures.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Josephine LaRue sighed. \u201cVery well, I shall take your proposal under consideration and discuss it with the Ancestors.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo,\u201d Bella said as she got to her feet. \u201cYou end this now. By the time I get back to the hotel, I want all the spells and everything related to that lifted. If not, I will come back and I won\u2019t be as respectful as I am now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cVery well,\u201d the woman said, defeated. Likely because she was scared, still. Bella didn\u2019t care. Enough was enough. \u201cDoes your proposal still stand then?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt does. I always keep my word if I can help it, just like the Mikaelsons, and just like Damon here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThen I shall start lifting the spells immediately. Thank you for stopping by, Ms. Swan, Mr. Salvatore. It has been\u2026 enlightening.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first thing she noticed as they walked down the street was that everybody had stopped looking at her and Bella felt so relieved. She took a deep breath and smiled at Damon. \u201cElijah\u2019s so going to be pissed that I did something he couldn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cStill early days, Bella,\u201d Damon chuckled and shook his head. \u201cSo, what\u2019s next?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The need to move to another hotel was gone now that she seemingly resolved the issue with the Regent and Ancestors. However, she knew that if she wanted to get a handle back on her own life and create a little distance between her and the Mikaelsons, Kol in particular, she\u2019d have to have an apartment or a privately owned home much like the guest house on the Salvatore property in Mystic Falls. Hotels were public property and vampires wouldn\u2019t need invitations to walk in. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bella hadn\u2019t spent her invisible time to just watch the comings of goings of everyone involved in this mess; she had also taken the opportunity to look at some realtor listings for apartments for rent. Granted, this would make it a little harder for her to make her home fully vampire proof because she wouldn\u2019t actually own her little thing, but there were ways around that, wouldn\u2019t there? She had enough in her bank account still to make a small deposit on something to buy, a mortgage, and maybe she could go back to waitressing to pay for the rest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She had seen a few in her price range.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m going to grab a bite to eat, why won\u2019t you go back to the hotel and tell everyone what happened?\u201d Bella suggested as they hopped on the street car. \u201cI\u2019ll follow you in a bit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAre you sure? I could come with you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bella let out a breath and shook her head. \u201cBella needs her alone time for just a little bit, Damon. She hasn\u2019t been able to be alone for quite some time and she\u2019ll be fine.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOkay,\u201d Damon shrugged. \u201cBring me back a beignet.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDo find yourself some vervain before you go back? I don\u2019t want them to take advantage out of you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGood idea, I\u2019ll stop by a witch shop.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a teashop in the Seamen\u2019s Quarter near the old church run by a girl named Ann. Just go there, she\u2019s less likely to show you the door.\u201d Bella watched as Damon walked off and waited for a good ten minutes before she headed on her own journey. She bought herself the biggest sandwich she could find and munched on it as she headed to the realtor\u2019s office through a back alley. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

She nearly dropped her sandwich when she was hit in the head by something and blinked when she saw a large brown envelope on the ground behind her with her name on it. Curious, she picked up the envelope and walked to the nearest bench, just outside the alley, to put her sandwich down on and investigate the contents of the envelope.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My dearest Bella,<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

My sincere apologies for what Hades has put you through, tearing you away from your friends like that for nearly two whole years? I hope you don\u2019t mind, but I took a peek into your life like I usually do, have done in the past, and it\u2019s a mess. That\u2019s on Hades. Not on you. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our Olympian cousins are jerks and uptight. Don\u2019t worry, I managed to get you out of the \u2018one more fuck up\u2019 kinda deal he had with you; you\u2019ve only just recently started to get some control and he helped you to get rid of the ones that were bugging you so much. You deserve a life, Bella.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, I wouldn\u2019t be your magical grandfather if I didn\u2019t have something up my sleeve. I noticed you wanted some private space from your vampire friends like in Mystic Falls. If I\u2019m wrong, then let this be me telling you that you need some space from your vampire friends.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this envelope there are the keys to an apartment I purchased for you in your name. You own it and therefor, no vampire can cross your threshold unless you want them to. I\u2019ve been told it\u2019s quite a cute little place above a shop which you can access through a door next to it. Get up the stairs and you\u2019ll be in the living area and kitchen. There\u2019s a spiral stairs leading to the next floor where the bedroom and bathroom is. I\u2019m fairly certain you\u2019re going to like it.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Call your mother. She hasn\u2019t heard from you in years. Now, granted, you couldn\u2019t help the last two years, but she misses you. Invite her over to New Orleans, perhaps?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ll be out of this plane of existence for a bit but I\u2019ll call you when I get back. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I love you.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Helios.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGod damnit, this is too much,\u201d she muttered with a smile on her face. At least it would save her the hassle of figuring things out for an apartment, but it was really too much. But maybe Helios was right in needing to sincerely apologize for what she\u2019d been through. There was a deed to the apartment in her name, with the keys and she could feel the color drain from her face. How could she get some distance from the Mikaelsons when the new apartment was across the street from their Compound? They could easily leap out the window and into her apartment or look into her apartment from the room that looked out over it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She then realized that this could also be quite devious on her part; they couldn\u2019t enter the house. Bella could tease Kol mercilessly if his room was indeed looking right into hers. Bella let out a snort as she put the important papers into her bag and checked to see if all the important things to her, such as her laptop, were inside before making the decision not to go to the hotel but straight to her new home. Fuck all those vampires. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Turning invisible, she went to her new apartment and finished her sandwich before she opened the door and climbed the stairs. She found the place fully furnished and it looked a lot like the wood paneling she had at the guest house in Mystic Falls. Bella giggled madly as she explored the house, the kitchen was amazing and so was the upstairs bedroom and bathroom. It had a big bathtub where she could just float around in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her grandfather H always spoiled her rotten and made her feel like a princess but now he had really outdone himself. Bella was now a real life princess in her own little castle. Feeling all giddy, she left her bag on the couch and only pocketed some money and her keys and went out to get some groceries. And fairy lights. The only thing the apartment was missing was a lot of fairy lights but that was easily fixed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When she returned home a few hours later, her phone had exploded with messages and missed calls from Kol, Klaus and Myriam, asking her where she was and if she was alright and when she was coming back. Opening a bag of popcorn and throwing a handful into her mouth, she made a group chat and replied: Damon can have the hotel room for as long as he wishes to stay in New Orleans. I\u2019m good. X<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bella opened her laptop and started to play some music the loudest her laptop could go at without it being too obnoxious for her own ears and started to put away the things she bought. She felt a sense of freedom she hadn\u2019t felt for a very long time, she had nothing to worry about, nothing to think about, just to be. And party. Oh boy, was she going to party, but likely first just to pass out for the night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It had been a long day. It had been a long week even though she\u2019d spent most of it unconscious. It still infuriated her she\u2019d been rendered unconscious by the people she trusted and she could feel that anger bubble inside of her. She needed to find a way to deal with that, something other than having great sex with Kol. If she\u2019d do that, she\u2019d betray herself and signal to him that it\u2019s alright to look at other girls and have sex with them and\u2026 oh, she felt disgusted then. Davina and Kol had had sex. Kol\u2019s mouth had been on Davina\u2019s. They had kissed. They—<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bella shuddered as she took her popcorn and a bottle of beer with her to the bathroom. Thinking of how Kol would have expertly disrobed Davina was the stuff of nightmares. Maybe Bella could use this experience in one of her stories, to try to make sense of it all. In all honesty, Bella didn\u2019t feel like it should affect her this much. She\u2019d been with Kol for just over six months before she fucked up and had to join Hades. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Granted, their relationship had been intense in every sense, but still, she felt that it shouldn\u2019t affect her this much. It hurt. Kol\u2019s whimsical nature and following his dick hurt, even though she should have anticipated that. Vampires sucked even if she believed they had changed for the better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now that the whole ordeal with the Ancestors was over and her family rid of all the spells that were thrown at them, Bella could relax. She had her own place now and nobody could disturb her. She didn\u2019t have to be strong. She didn\u2019t quite like the beer, but downed it on one go anyway before getting into the bath tub filled with water and an artisan orange bath bomb smelling like tangerines, bergamot and something other kind of citrussy. It smelled amazing and she should have felt energized by it, but instead she felt tired and so incredibly sad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She was allowed one pity party, right?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

~o.O.o~<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis is unacceptable,\u201d Kol fumed as he paced across the courtyard. After Bella\u2019s text, they all realized she wasn\u2019t coming back and there was no telling where she was. She could have gone back to Mystic Falls or been taken by Hades. \u201cShe goes through all this trouble to help us and herself and then disappears?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Klaus just watched his brother pace around like a maniac while Klaus enjoyed the peace and quiet as he nursed a glass of bourbon. For the first time in a very long time, home felt like home again and he wasn\u2019t allowing anything, not even his ranting brother, to spoil that. The werewolves were taken care of. The Ancestors off their backs. Life was good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat about me, Nik? What am I going to do now? I thought she\u2019d come back to me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou really haven\u2019t paid attention to everything, have you, dear brother?\u201d Rebekah said as she took a seat on the sofa and joined Nik in having a glass of alcohol. \u201cThe girl is hurt and she needs some time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cShe\u2019s hurt? I understand that she feels that way because of Davina, but it wasn\u2019t as if I could do anything about it!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cRebekah,\u201d Klaus interrupted her before she could explain what was happening. \u201cHe needs to figure it out on his own. We can\u2019t very well keep telling him what to do and what to think. It\u2019s not what she\u2019d want.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would be a lot easier if she hadn\u2019t skipped town,\u201d Rebekah muttered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWho says she did? For all we know she\u2019s staying in New Orleans. With her ability to change into someone else or even turn invisible, we\u2019d never know,\u201d Klaus took a sip of his glass. \u201cLike you said, she needs some time. She\u2019ll send us a message when she\u2019s good and ready.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll need some code word or something to prove that we are who we say we are,\u201d Rebekah said after a moment of silence, causing both brothers to look at her. \u201cShe can be whomever she wants to be, what if she\u2019ll pose as one of us? As Myriam? Just to keep an eye on us?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI doubt she\u2019ll do that and if she does wants to keep an eye on us, she\u2019ll be invisible,\u201d Klaus mused. \u201cMainly because if she\u2019s Myriam, I\u2019ll find out the moment she and I are alone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOr, she could be posing as one of us right now!\u201d Rebekah said shocked. \u201cOh, this is going to be a nightmare. I\u2019d rather know where she is than to live in uncertainty.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAre we still talking about this girl?\u201d Elijah sighed tiredly as he walked onto the courtyard. \u201cWe\u2019re home. It\u2019s time to look forward.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rebekah narrowed her eyes on her brother. \u201cThis girl is called Bella and she\u2019s one of us, Elijah. I thought the spell was lifted?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt has,\u201d Elijah replied, pouring himself a drink before rolling his eyes at his youngest brother, who was still pacing around. \u201cFor God\u2019s Sake, Kol, find something better to do than to damage the floor tiles.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOr what? You\u2019ll dagger me?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reminded of his brother\u2019s need for attention, Klaus sighed as he took another sip of his drink. \u201cElijah\u2019s never liked Bella, so there\u2019s no change there,\u201d he said as he got to his feet. \u201cCome on, Kol, let\u2019s have some fun with the locals.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elijah\u2019s eyes grew wide. \u201cBrothers, I implore you, do not kill the locals!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNot to worry, brother,\u201d Klaus replied playfully. \u201cIf and when we decide to eat our way through an apartment complex, you\u2019ll be the first to know.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

~o.O.o~<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the best things about New Orleans, or the state of Louisiana in general, was that the temperatures were nice enough for her to have her window open at all times or the front balcony with the French doors open wide without it causing her home to get really cold. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

She hadn\u2019t mustered the confidence just yet to sit on her balcony in sight of the Mikaelsons, but once she would have, she was definitely sit on that balcony and read a book while sipping on a glass of wine. That just seemed pretty damn epic to her. Apart from the occasional fighting she heard coming from the room of the Mikaelsons across the street. At some point during the middle of the night when she was asleep and the roads not that busy, she could feel the earth tremble because someone got smashed into a wall. Bella tried not to worry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

No, in the last three weeks since she\u2019d dealt with the Ancestors, Bella had truly been hiding from her family by going out the door looking like someone she\u2019d seen on the streets and with that, she could live a pretty undisturbed life. After spending a week in the hotel, Damon had gone back to Mystic Falls to help his brother. Bella caught up with her stories, left messages on her website about her life in New Orleans – granted, she left out the part where she lived just in case. She knew Myriam frequented the website and no doubt she\u2019d relay whatever bit of information she could scrape up with the rest of the family and caught up on movies and TV shows. Books. Oh, definitely the books. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

New Orleans had so many cute and very cool book shops, like one in the French Quarter; it specialized in rare, antique and out of print books and she felt all nerdy when she found a book on torture. The book was quite explicit, but it was going to help with the new story she was writing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There was also a shop like that for kitchen books. Bella had rediscovered her love for cooking and had bought a cooking book or two to try out some of the local cuisine herself, but found she still needed a lot of improvement cooking wise, local cuisine was best tasted from a local chef or person, not from someone trying to copy them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Life. Live. And she was loving it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, no matter how much she had gotten her life back on track over the last few weeks, she missed being around the Mikaelsons. Around Kol. Myriam. Now she didn\u2019t have to fear to be taken away from them if she\u2019d screw up royally again, she felt a little safer to rebuild her social life. She\u2019d hold herself accountable and she\u2019d punish herself, but at least she\u2019d be able to stick around on Earth. Bella wondered what Helios had to give up himself to get this deal going and she feared that he gave up his own existence on Earth so she could be free.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She didn\u2019t have issues with Klaus and Myriam. Their friendship wasn\u2019t in any danger because it had always been there – and Bella was grateful for the space they were giving her. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But she was so torn about Kol. He was her first real boyfriend. Her first real relationship. Sure, there had been Moritz, but that was high school stuff. Kol\u2026 so wasn\u2019t high school. It had been an intense six months and it felt like they\u2019d been together for longer. They did so much together, so many experiences, and she missed him. She was aware of his attention span and yes, she did leave and opened the door for Davina and the witches to manipulate him and the rest of his family. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bella shouldn\u2019t fault him for falling for Davina. Or at least be mildly interested in her to start with. He had no way of knowing when Bella would return – if she\u2019d return. Bella knew this and she had taken her revenge by briefly daggering Kol and not talking to him for a few weeks. But he had still used a Dark Object on her to \u2018subdue\u2019 her. Asshole.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maybe it was time to start mending what they had, to reach out to him. To talk things over and hopefully have him live with her at her apartment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

She smiled at that, then. While she had loved being with all the Mikaelsons in one place, it was simply too crowded, too much. Too\u2026 unhealthy, in a way. The months she and Kol spent travelling together had been amazing and Kol had been so likeable – she felt that with them staying with the rest of his family he was getting undermined a lot and that wasn\u2019t fair. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

While it was easy to just go across the street and talk to Kol, she wasn\u2019t sure if she was quite ready for that yet, either. What if he didn\u2019t feel the same anymore? What if the space that Klaus and Myriam were giving her was something other than space? What if she wasn\u2019t good enough anymore? But then again, she wouldn\u2019t have anything to worry about because Klaus had always been in her corner. Bella wasn\u2019t too sure about Myriam and that was going to be a problem because Bella had been a shitty friend. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

She really needed to think about all of this some more. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Chapter 10 Bella awoke with her teeth sunk into someone\u2019s neck. She loved the taste of blood, to hear the life slowly leave her victim\u2019s body. Bella found this strange; this immense like of blood. It wasn\u2019t merely a like, it felt like a need, almost as if she needed…<\/p>\n

Continue reading<\/i><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":601,"parent":598,"menu_order":9,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-646","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"yoast_head":"\nChapter 10 - 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 10 - MeekoBuggy\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Chapter 10 Bella awoke with her teeth sunk into someone\u2019s neck. She loved the taste of blood, to hear the life slowly leave her victim\u2019s body. Bella found this strange; this immense like of blood. It wasn\u2019t merely a like, it felt like a need, almost as if she needed... 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Something was chasing her, and she didn\u2019t quite know what, but it was scary. She had gotten out of the house in the middle of the night to do some stargazing, but it was then that it happened; she heard them come from the sewers\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/meekobuggy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Fractured-Marionette-banner.png?fit=1024%2C768&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/meekobuggy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Fractured-Marionette-banner.png?fit=1024%2C768&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/meekobuggy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Fractured-Marionette-banner.png?fit=1024%2C768&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/meekobuggy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Fractured-Marionette-banner.png?fit=1024%2C768&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":256,"url":"https:\/\/meekobuggy.com\/?page_id=256","url_meta":{"origin":646,"position":1},"title":"Chapter 10","author":"Buggy","date":"August 13, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Chapter 10 Everything had become more intense after she had drunk a little of Jeri\u2019s blood. The light hurt her eyes, and the sounds were giving her a headache. And she was hungry. But at least no longer at risk of immediate death. Had it been the right decision? Yes.\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/meekobuggy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Fractured-Marionette-banner.png?fit=1024%2C768&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/meekobuggy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Fractured-Marionette-banner.png?fit=1024%2C768&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/meekobuggy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Fractured-Marionette-banner.png?fit=1024%2C768&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/meekobuggy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Fractured-Marionette-banner.png?fit=1024%2C768&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":424,"url":"https:\/\/meekobuggy.com\/?page_id=424","url_meta":{"origin":646,"position":2},"title":"Chapter 16","author":"Buggy","date":"August 15, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Chapter 16 Elijah blinked at his brother. \u201cYou do?\u201d All vampires needed to wear a daylight ring, Original or not, to protect them from the fire. Niklaus didn\u2019t have to wear one anymore due to his hybrid nature now unbound, but that was quite special and rare these days. Kol\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/meekobuggy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/bs1-e1723730795835.jpg?fit=1000%2C563&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/meekobuggy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/bs1-e1723730795835.jpg?fit=1000%2C563&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/meekobuggy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/bs1-e1723730795835.jpg?fit=1000%2C563&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/meekobuggy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/bs1-e1723730795835.jpg?fit=1000%2C563&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":420,"url":"https:\/\/meekobuggy.com\/?page_id=420","url_meta":{"origin":646,"position":3},"title":"Chapter 15","author":"Buggy","date":"August 15, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Chapter 15 Bella didn\u2019t see much of Klaus the next few days as he was moving heaven and hell to make sure that the Strix didn\u2019t have anything in their possession that could kill him. Even went as far as destroying everything that Aurora had done, going through her things\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/meekobuggy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/bs1-e1723730795835.jpg?fit=1000%2C563&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/meekobuggy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/bs1-e1723730795835.jpg?fit=1000%2C563&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/meekobuggy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/bs1-e1723730795835.jpg?fit=1000%2C563&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/meekobuggy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/bs1-e1723730795835.jpg?fit=1000%2C563&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1229,"url":"https:\/\/meekobuggy.com\/?page_id=1229","url_meta":{"origin":646,"position":4},"title":"Chapter 03","author":"Meeko","date":"December 5, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Bella groaned as she started coming to and all she was able to notice initially was the amount of pain her body was in. Moving her arms was nearly impossible and she knew almost immediately that her one arm was broken. She probably damaged some ribs too, as it was\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":532,"url":"https:\/\/meekobuggy.com\/?page_id=532","url_meta":{"origin":646,"position":5},"title":"Chapter 04","author":"Buggy","date":"August 17, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Chapter 04 After Kol had left, Myriam bounced into the room and told Bella to freshen up so they could go out and have some retail therapy. Bella needed her own clothes, her own style, and wearing some dead psycho-witch\u2019 clothes was simply a no-no. While she had been able\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/meekobuggy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/intermission.png?fit=1150%2C400&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/meekobuggy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/intermission.png?fit=1150%2C400&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/meekobuggy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/intermission.png?fit=1150%2C400&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/meekobuggy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/intermission.png?fit=1150%2C400&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/meekobuggy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/intermission.png?fit=1150%2C400&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/meekobuggy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/646","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/meekobuggy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/meekobuggy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/meekobuggy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/meekobuggy.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=646"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/meekobuggy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/646\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":654,"href":"https:\/\/meekobuggy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/646\/revisions\/654"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/meekobuggy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/598"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/meekobuggy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/601"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/meekobuggy.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=646"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}