Pre Edit Count –   2,719 Words

Song I listened to for this chapter: Robot Boy by Linkin Park.

Previous:

Damon shakes his head, “He will think the wonderful woman you are.  And if not, who needs him?  You have your father and me.  What else does a woman want?” He keeps trying to remind her of her father, but he has gotten the idea from Bella that somehow, they have said goodbye to each other.  He is not sure why her father would do that, but when he has a chance, he will get to the bottom of it.

Alaric and Elena laugh with Bella.  “I guess with that list, I don’t need anything else.”

Damon kisses her head and tells her softly, “Showtime, stellina.” He saw the blur and sees the vampire now at the door.

The two of them leave the room as the doorbell sounds.

Alaric shakes his head as he looks at Elena, “Who would’ve thought?”

Elena breaks out of her thoughts and answers, “I did.  But I was told I was a dreamer and that Damon is no longer human at all. Obviously they were wrong.”  She turns back to the family tree in front of her and asks softly, “What else were they wrong about?”

Alaric had no answer for the young woman in front of him.

Now:

Damon opens the door and smiles at Elijah.  “Elijah, what an honor to meet you.”

Elijah stares at the vampire in front of him.  He had heard that he was in town, and that he is reckless, yet one of the most powerful in the world.  He beats Sage who is the first turned vampire and is told to be able to rival an Original.

He nods to the other vampire, then informs him politely, “I was asked to come here.”

Damon stares at the Original. He is fighting his urge to snarl at someone that could hurt Bella.  She is his, and he won’t allow anyone to take her away from him. He finally nods back at him, and Bella comes up beside him. “Hello Elijah.”

Elijah looks shocked.  Without thinking, he steps forward and cups her face.  He says softly “Camilia.”

Damon and Bella are both shocked that he could walk right in.

Elijah realizes after a second what happened and he smiles softly, “Blood of mine, only one descended of our blood can enter.”

Damon growls as he asks, “Klaus?” This is not someone he wants to be able to enter their home without warning.  Elijah is bad enough.

Elijah shakes his head. “No.  It’s the magic that determines this, and she is my descendent.  Mine and Camilia’s.  Only one who is of the same line can enter without permission.” And he is just staring at this daughter he has been searching all his life for.

Bella nods.  “That makes sense.  Or Stefan could have entered when he tried.” She is trying to be calm, but she isn’t going to lie, having Damon beside her is a great source of strength for her.

Elijah’s lips lift in a snarl. “The Ripper?”  He looks up at Damon, “You allow her near the Ripper?” He cannot believe that this vampire will be so cavalier of the danger for the treasure in front of him.

Damon snarls back, “Not without me there.  She is mine!” His face is darkening, not backing down from his claims.  She is his, and he will defend her.

Before they can start to fight, Bella’s eyes blaze as she informs Elijah, “Back off.  This is our home, and you will not question Damon!”  Her eyes were alight with her passion.  When she sees he is listening to her, “Now, if you come in, we have plenty of questions for you.  Some have to do with Elena, some with me, and some have to with Damon and I.  Are you willing to answer?” She too is challenging, not allowing the man in front of her to scare her anymore.  Not with how he is challenging Damon!

Elijah slowly smiles at the woman in front of him, “I will be delighted to.” His daughter is quite the spitfire, and he loves it.

He then looks at Damon, saying, “Sorry.”

Damon nodded, but keeps his arm around Bella.  His instincts will not allow nothing less.  He allows Elijah into their home, glancing outside as he manages to keep his temper not to have another storm yet. But it is early in the evening.

Elijah follows his many times great granddaughter, or as he has begun to think of her as simply as his daughter.  He had questioned if it was true in the past, that he could actually have a descendant, but staring at her now, there is no question that she is his and Camilia’s.  He is feeling very proud of her as she steps in between her vampire and him.

He carefully watches the interaction of the two, and his eyebrow lifts as he notices how close the two are.  He knows her father is still alive.  He had met him years ago.  And warned him what would happen if she is hurt.

If Bella is the culmination of their line like he believes her to be, she may not be human much longer.  If nothing else, he will turn her.  But he suspects that her vampire and her have exchanged blood.  After the talk with Elena, he will need to talk to the two of them. He suspects there is much more to them than normal couples.

He smiles as he enters the library and sees Elena.  He is quite…fond of the newest doppelganger.  And suspects his fondness for the other two were a mere reflection of her.  It wouldn’t surprise him, he has learned by now that nature’s way to balance itself shows up in different methods.  And right now is a touchy time for the supernaturals.

He moves to Elena, and lifts her hand to kiss it, telling her, “Hello, Elena.” And smiles down at her, happy to be relieved of the pain of being separated from her.  No matter how small of the time they will have.

Damon is watching Elijah.  But with his greeting of Elena, he smiles.  He told Bella that Elena deserved better and he has a feeling that he is seeing that better.

Bella sighs and sits at her desk, Damon coming behind her, his hands resting on her shoulder.  Elijah grabs two of the chairs and arranges them in front of her, offering one to Elena and the other to Alaric.  He rests perched behind Elena on her chair.

Starting it off, Damon tells him, “Bella received the results of Isobel’s research a month ago.  She started to go through it just a couple of days ago.  Since then, some things…happened and I got involved.  Bella learned that there was another type of vampire in the world and a lot of the things she had discounted as legends, she found to be real.” He rubs her shoulders as she tenses at the mention of the Cold Ones.

Elijah had straightened up when he heard Damon say another type.  He raises his eyebrow, “And you have knowledge of the Cold Ones?” This is not good.  He knows of their silly laws and how much they enforce them.  This time will be different. This is his family, and nothing is more important to him.

Bella hand goes to her wrist as she nods. “And personal knowledge of shifters, book knowledge of the Children of the Moon.”

Damon stands behind her and covers her hand with his. “We will tell you more of that later.” With a nod to the two in front of them.  Elijah nods in understanding.  He doesn’t want Elena mixed up with them and is unhappy that Bella is.

Damon continues, “During Bella’s research, she had found that for some reason, all the Founding Families of Mystic Falls are connected to what is called the Original Family.  She also found proof tracing her line back to twins.  Twins that you fathered.” He stares down at the elder vampire, making him understand he will acknowledge Bella.

Elijah nods.  “I have already acknowledged her as my bloodline.  And I will talk with the two of you more on this, privately.” He stares at the two, waiting until they nod.  He will not leave here without talking to them.

Elena huffs. “There is a lot you three will be talking about privately.  How about the rest of us?” She hates how Stefan seems to leave her out of stuff to protect her, and it seems like they are doing the same thing.  Why did she need to be here?

Elijah laughs and puts a hand on her shoulder, calming her. “No worries, Elena.  We will have plenty to talk about.  These other matters are personal to Damon, Bella and I.”  He does not like her being so upset.

She sighs and leans back. Somewhat mollified, but it reminds everyone in the room she is a high school student, and quite young all in all.

Bella picks up from Damon. “While I was researching my thesis, I came across different mentions of a curse.  The one that these guys know as the Sun and Moon Curse.  But I found that it was though the supernatural world was to look out for the doppelgängers.  And found that they are supposed to die in a ritual to free someone called Klaus.  Which Damon helped me find out is your brother.” And she just looks at Elijah as she puts their cards on the table.

Elijah nods.  In his head, he had been forming new plans and now those plans are becoming more important.  He will safeguard Elena.  And now he has Bella to keep safe.  He suspects that Damon will be involved with it also.  He sighs.

“Yes, when my brother and I had gotten along, we came up with the different curses to help locate the doppelgangers.  They would only come rarely, and we didn’t want to miss one.  Katherine got out of it, and Elena has been the first since then.  But, Klaus and I have had a falling out.  He has managed to dagger our complete family except for father and me.  As originals, the only way to kill one of us is to stake us with a White Oak Stake.  Which all the White Oaks have been burnt, even by my father.”

He moves to the Whiteboards to study them as he continues the story. “The other way to put us out of commission was thought of by the witches.  A set of daggers, one for each of us was made.  Dipped in the ash of the Oak, it has the means to paralyze us.  But once removed, we come back.  The daggers have to remain in us.  I managed to get hold of two of them and had them destroyed.”

“So there is one unaccounted for if everyone else is daggered.” Damon comments, his hands on Bella’s reassuring her.

Elijah turns and meets the human’s and supernatural’s eyes. “Yes. And it can only be used by one of us or a human.  It kills the vampires who use it against us.”

Bella leans forward and rubs her eyes. Even the originals can be killed or beaten.

Elena just mutters, “Wow.”

Alaric agrees, but he asks the next question, “This is all fascinating, but the reason Elena called was because Bella is stressing out trying to find something she read. Something about the Doppelgängers and a sacrifice coming up.” He actually genuinely likes Damon.  And seeing him with Bella, well like Elena said, people are being proved wrong.  So he is trying to get the conversation back on course for what worried Bella enough to call Elijah that she had been so very nervous in meeting.

Elijah sighs and rubs his bridge of his nose. “She is correct.” And what has been driving him to making so many plans to try to save her.  Now he needs to add Bella and he suspects Damon to those plans.

Bella groans and leans back in her chair.  Damon rests his hands on her, collaring her, and making her feel safer as she looks up at him with his thumbs rubbing her neck. “And?”

Elijah looks up at him, “The first step, is to keep Klaus from here on the night that he can lift the curse, then we have another year.”

Alaric mumbles, “And maybe the horse will learn to sing.”

Elijah nods.

Damon repeats his earlier question, “And?” His eyebrow is lifted.  He is noting that that there is more.  He needs to know all of it so he can keep his Bella safe.  Then he will safeguard the rest of them, then finally the town.  But Bella is first.  Now and forever.

Elijah looks away.  “He will need to get his hands on a new vampire, a new werewolf and…blood related to him.” And this is why he will be guarding Bella.  She will be blood related to him.  Even if they turn her, he can use her as the new vampire.  Too many dangers right now.

Damon growls. “Does he realize the doppelgänger is his blood?” and gestures to the board that tells all.

Elijah’s head came flying up, “No!  How?”

Bella snarks, “The normal way babes are born.  Two people have sex, a child comes.”

Elijah is just staring at them. Damon asks, “Did you not ever wonder how the doppelgängers came about?  They have to be blood related.  Tatia had a child.  She had to, for the spell to work.  That child was Klaus’s.”  He cocks his head as he tries to understand how the man in front of him never put it together.  It is the only thing that made sense reading about them and how doppelgangers come.

Elijah’s face actually pales.  He starts pacing as he tries to work it out in his head.  He finally says, “There is no way he knows.  Bella is special and I recognized her as mine as soon as I saw her.  Why did not Klaus of his descendants?” He knows Bella is special, but if the doppelgangers are the same, then Klaus should have sensed it.  Elijah knew Bella’s father was his, but not his as what he will be discussing with them later. Bella is his heir.

Damon asks, “Is that meaning that there are more of your kids running around?”

Elijah shakes his head. “No.  That is what makes Bella special.”  He turns to her, “Let me guess there was only one born to the line?” He cannot explain exactly.  It is something special for her to be his heir.

Bella advises him, “To Each Line.  One twin married into the Moutins.  The other, your son, kept his mother’s name, Lebada.”

Elijah says softly, “Swan.” As he nods.  He was never sure, one of the witches had figured it out and he kept track of the lines from there.  But he was never sure how it all came about.

Bella nods.  “The lines join back together in my father and me.” She didn’t consider her mother’s contribution to be much since she couldn’t figure out how, but her mother’s family was the same as her fathers, one descendant.

Elijah shakes his head. “You.”

“What?” She is lost, why her and not her father?

Meeting her eyes, he informs her, “You.” He looks at her and tells both of them, “You don’t think that the rumor of a descendant hasn’t made it to me in the past?  I am devoted to my family.  Even the thought of having someone of my blood alive was enough to send me searching.  I met your father, and he didn’t register.  It’s something about you.  There is no question your mine.” His heir, the one that he will gladly claim as his daughter from now until the ends of time.  She will be turned, and she will walk this earth by his side.

Damon quells the growl, telling himself that he cannot deny her great-Grandfather his claim on her.  But Bella is his. His hands, slide on her neck, and she just reaches up and holds her hand over his, not stopping him, but acknowledging him and his feelings.

Elena shakes her head, “That doesn’t make sense, what makes Bella special?” She hates to say it, but why is Elijah making such a deal about Bella, and so is Damon.  She has no idea why she is so jealous, but she just doesn’t seem to be that special…

Damon scoffs, “She just is.  She can block any mind powers, she survived an attack by a venomous vampire, she…”

Elijah smiles and interrupts Damon as he realizes what the two in front of him are, “She is one of a pair of very rare mates.” And he stares at this man.  He gains a daughter, and this man is already taking her from him?  But he gives himself a shake and realizes, that he is gaining a son too.  Mates…

They both nod, Damon’s hands move back to her shoulder, and Bella strangely missing them on her.

Elena asks, “Mates?”

Damon smirks. “Mates.”

Bella laughs. “Alaric?”

He shakes his head no, as he is trying to process this.  Though he can see Bella’s sense of humor as she asked him if he wanted to join in with the rest of them.

Elijah laughs as it sinks in that his daughter is mated, and whom to. “Yes, Elena. Mates.  The other half of your soul.  They are a tale as rare as any you can find.  They are the basis for those fall in love in a glance tales.” He cannot help the grin as he realizes that Damon will never leave her, will do so much to defend her.  That she will not easily leave his side.  And he means to be active in her and Damon’s lives.

As he turns it over in his head, he realizes who must of told Damon about it, asks him, “Sage?”

At Damon’s nod, he nods. “She would know, considering that she is one of the now two pairs known to me.  You two being the other.”

Bella quips, “Don’t you mean three?” She grins slyly at him, letting him know that no, she had not missed it.

Elijah glances at her quickly.

Damon grins, “Oh, don’t think we don’t know.  And I am pretty sure Bella feels the same way as I do and we both support it.”

Elijah laughs.  “Well, I guess you won’t be too bad as my son in law.” And he looks down at Elena, his eyes showing his joy in being so close to her.

Damon narrows his eyes at the other vampire as the rest of them laugh.

Elena though asks, “What is special about mates?  I mean I get the fall in love in a glance and such, but what makes it so rare?”

Walking to her and sitting on the arm of the chair, he explains, knowing that she will need the information, and maybe, just maybe it will start her wondering. “Bella and Damon have probably realized they don’t want to be apart.  It’s because they really can’t be.  The farther they are away from each other the worse it will be.  Damon, being the vampire first, is probably going to be her sire.  I need to talk to them both privately about that.  Also, don’t be surprised if you two find yourselves, well, being closer.  It will be a literal drive for Damon before too much longer.  As much as I hate to say it, Damon, be very prepared to turn her when you two do mate.  Finn was unable to resist it.  But these two will find themselves powerful, because they will draw on each other.  This is going to be better for both of them because Damon’s blood lust will dwindle as will hers once she turns.  You will still need blood, but nowhere as much as you do now.” He is watching the two, and could see Damon’s hand tighten on her shoulder as she lays her hand on his.  The more he is aware of them, the more he is approving of the elder Salvatore for a son in law.

Alaric is frowning, “Why?  It seems to go against nature to have two being so powerful.” He is turning over the information, not seeing much sense in it.

Elijah nods at him, “And that is why they are rare.  What they are is the promise of our species continuing.  As long as there is a mated pair in the world, our species will continue.  And giving them all these abilities will help that.  What worries me, is that they are needed.  Or who knows, maybe it is fated?”

Bella shudders. “Don’t say that.” Fated never is a good thing.  Fated means deadly situations, and chances that they will die.

Damon rubs her shoulders as he tells them, “Since this seems to be our inner group now, Bella dated a Cold One when she was young.  He and the family betrayed her.  She was attacked by a tracker and they left her with the mate still out there.” The last is said with a growl, his teeth slightly elongating with his rage of his mate being in danger.

Elijah shudders. “I have no idea how they even came about.  They are hard to kill and that makes me wonder.  Only fire kills them, and only if you can get to the venom inside them.  Otherwise they can walk through fire.  They can also breed with humans.”  His voice is thick with the disgust he feels for them.  As far as he is concerned, they are an abomination.

Bella turns white as Damon growls. “What?”

Elijah has his hand resting on Elena’s shoulder as he tells them, “There are some half breeds in South America.  No one understands it.  And they find their mates easier than we do, but they are basically companions to them.  They don’t get the benefits of our kind.  They also may have physic powers, but they have none of the supernatural of our kind.” Elijah is trying to give him enough of the information to calm the vampire who is getting riled up at the danger he is sensing to his mate.

Damon growls.  “That is something.  I wonder if they could survive a lightning strike.” At the end, he is turning over how he can do it.  He has done it in the past, but controlling that much power is something that is harder than people would ever guess.  That he had done it, successfully and more than once, had Sage calling him an elemental lord.  He had laughed at her.

Elijah grins suddenly. “I have no idea.  No one has tried it.  As you know, power over the elements is extremely rare, especially to one of your age and to the extent of your control. But it would be an interesting experiment.” He knows what Sage has named the elder Salvatore, and now, knowing what he does, he wonders if Damon was not always meant to be one of the elders of their species.

The two vampires grin at each other. Liking the direction their thoughts are going.

Elena yawns. “I am sorry to break this up, but I need to head home.  School is tomorrow.”

Elijah immediately apologizes and helps her out of the seat.  Alaric grins as he too gets what Bella and Damon have been saying.  He looks at Elena as his daughter, the daughter he believes he should have had with Isobel.  Stefan was too controlling.  Elijah would be better for her, and if he is thinking this through correctly, has been waiting for her for a very long time.

The group heads to the front door, Damon and Elijah framing Bella as they wish the other two goodnight.  Stefan had appeared and giving a dirty look at the trio, escorts Elena to her vehicle and they leave.

And then it was down to three.

Final count, 4,046 words.

Fairfarren~Wendy