Hanging By A Moment Chapter 2: In Your Name, I Find Meaning, a Twilight + Vampire Diaries Crossover fanfic

Hanging By A Moment, Chapter 2: In Your Name, I Find Meaning

I don't anything except the plot. Neither Twilight nor Vampire Diaries belong to me... they'd be pretty different if they did!

More Jeremy cuteness, plus a whole heap of Damon...

Previously...

She looked at him, lost for words as he continued deciding her future, talking himself out of her life and prattling on about how it would be as if he'd never existed. She wondered for a moment whether he expected her to beg and plead for him to stay. She certainly wasn't going to give him the satisfaction if that were the case, no matter how much it was hurting.

The sound of the door swinging open caught her attention and she stared at the two faces there, absolute joy rushing through her as she recognised one of them.

"Jeremy?"

He grinned and winked at her, before looking at Edward, a furious expression on his face. "So, I've got to ask… what kind of dick breaks up with a girl while she's in hospital?"

The dark haired man next to him studied her appraisingly for a moment before also glaring at Edward as he spoke. "A Cold One. That's what kind of dick."

~*~I~*~

The broken clock is a comfort, it helps me sleep tonight
Maybe it can stop tomorrow from stealing all my time
I am here still waiting though I still have my doubts
I am damaged at best, like you've already figured out

Jeremy yawned and awkwardly stretched as much as he could in the confined space. Spending the better part of the last day and a half in the 'borrowed' car had taken its toll and he felt cramped and uncomfortable.

They had naturally headed to the airport first, but upon finding no available flights to Phoenix in the next day Damon had dragged a distraught Jeremy to the nearest car rental place and proceeded to 'rent' a car, without actually paying a penny of course. As Damon explained it, at least then they would have the option of flying back which they wouldn't if he drove his precious Camaro there.

It was worth it though, he reminded himself, thinking of Bella as he fidgeted in his seat. Charlie hadn't told Jenna that much when he'd called with the news, only that Bella was badly hurt after running off to Arizona because of her boyfriend. He ignored the stab of pain that went through him of that word in connection with Bella.

He'd called Charlie not long after they left Mystic Falls, confirming which hospital Bella was at and trying to get more information, but Charlie didn't have much to offer other than a healthy disgust for the boy Bella had apparently run away from.

He'd been even more on edge after talking to Charlie and had appreciated it when Damon hadn't spoken, instead just subtly speeding up, driving that little bit faster to their destination.

Jeremy had been wound tighter than a spring, but with the long hours in the car exhaustion had eventually taken over and he'd slept fitfully in the reclined front seat.

Damon had driven through the night, frowning heavily every time he thought about the phone conversation he'd listened in on. He hadn't said anything any time Jeremy was awake though, just continued turning everything over in his mind and not liking what he came up with.

He'd had a few dealings with Cold Ones over the years – you couldn't live as long as he had and not come across one eventually, and none of them had been particularly pleasant creatures.

Since when did Cold Ones mess around with humans? Apart from the fact that it was against their laws, their hunger was usually too great and their control far too limited. At times they were barely better than rabid animals, Damon thought, especially when blood was involved.

He'd had plenty of time to muse over it all on the long drive, especially while Jeremy had dozed restlessly next to him and something had eventually tickled at his memory. A Cold One he'd heard of a few times though never met. Rumour had it that this one fancied himself as father to a 'family' – insert mental snort here – of Cold Ones, and that the entire family called themselves 'vegetarians'. They dined exclusively on animal blood – cue even bigger snort – something unheard of for their breed.

It wouldn't surprise him if this Cold One he had heard of was involved somehow. It was a small world after all, if you believed Disney, and there really couldn't be that many of their kind that were able to actually mix with humans.

He was drawn out of his thoughts as Jeremy shifted, waking up next to him, and seeing an exit for a motel just ahead he made a snap decision and pulled off the freeway.

"Where are we going?" Jeremy asked, his voice rough from sleep and Damon smirked faintly.

"A motel. We getting close now, and it's been a day and a half in the car so I need to feed and you, well you really need to shower."

Jeremy flushed a little but nodded. He couldn't argue anyway, he felt grimy and his mouth felt like he'd been licking a carpet or something. Freshening up before he saw Bella was a good idea, and Damon definitely didn't need to be snacking at the hospital.

Waiting in the car as Damon compelled the manager to 'lend' them some room keys, he headed in for a necessary shower while Damon presumably hunted down his meal from one of the occupied motel rooms.

Damon returned shortly afterward and showered as well. It wasn't long before they were back on the road, this time heading right for the hospital that Charlie said they'd find Bella at.

Anxious for something to do as they approached the hospital, Jeremy pulled out his phone and sent a text to Jenna, letting her know he was okay and would be seeing Bella soon.

His aunt hadn't been keen on him coming all this way when he'd initially called as they were leaving the airport, but even without compulsion Damon was persuasive and she had eventually consented as long as Damon agreed to stay with him the entire time they were gone.

Elena had been less than pleased at her younger brother running off with Damon and when she called to tell him so, Jeremy had listened for a few moments as she berated him until cutting her off with a simple, "I love her."

He'd hung up in the silence that followed with a heavy sigh. He loved Elena, but she needed to realise that his decisions were his own to make.

He hadn't been able to dwell on it for long though as Damon's own phone call had cut into his thoughts. He had listened, trying hard not to laugh, as Damon had ordered his younger brother to get the spare key from his room and pick up the Camaro from the airport.

Stefan had obviously heard about what they were doing and tried to argue, but Damon had just laughed bitterly at him before saying that if Stefan thought Damon had made his life hell before, then he'd have a huge shock coming if he interfered at all. He'd ended the call abruptly, telling him to "Just pick up the damn car" and making Jeremy chuckle faintly.

Drawn out of his thoughts as they arrived at the hospital, Jeremy barely gave Damon time to park before he was out of the car and making his way into the building, Damon catching up to him and quickly compelling Bella's location out of the nearest receptionist.

Too impatient to wait for the elevator, Jeremy hurried up the stairs with Damon, both of them only slowing down as they reached Bella's floor.

Catching a voice that distinctly screamed Cold One to him, Damon threw out an arm, stopping Jeremy in his tracks for a moment as he listened.

"I'm dangerous for you to be around love, it would be safer for you if I left."

Damon frowned as the Cold One spoke.

"He's saying he wants to leave her." He whispered, barely above a breath.

Jeremy scowled, straining to hear what was being said in the room just ahead of them.

"Well yes… my family and I would all stay away from you of course."

"I've heard enough." Jeremy hissed, striding toward the door to Bella's room, Damon right beside him as he swung it open.

"So, I've got to ask… what kind of dick breaks up with a girl while she's in hospital?"

~*~II~*~

I'm falling apart, I'm barely breathing
With a broken heart that's still beating
In the pain, there is healing
In your name, I find meaning
So I'm holding on, I'm holding on, I'm holding on
I'm barely holding on to you

Jeremy stared at the boy… no, the Cold One – whatever that was, that was trying to hurt his Izzy with disgust. He meant what he'd asked; only some kind of dick would break up with a girl while she was lying in a hospital bed.

Damon looked at the Cold One with some amusement, he could see the boy was trying to figure out what he was and how he knew about Cold Ones. Feeling a light pressure in his head he growled faintly and locked his mind down, a smug smirk flickering across his face at the obvious irritation this caused.

"Heads up little Gilbert," He said warningly, getting Jeremy's and Bella's attention, "This one's a mind-reader, keep your thoughts under control."

"This asshole seriously reads minds?" Jeremy asked Bella.

"Yes." Bella answered quietly, ignoring Edward's hiss. She didn't see any point in lying about it when they already seemed to know, or at least the strange dark haired man did anyway…

"Jer, who is that?" She whispered, pointing to Damon.

"That is Damon," Jeremy answered her, "He's a… friend… and a vampire."

Damon turned his head to wink conspiratorially at Bella as she looked at him confused. "I'm a real vampire, sweet cheeks, not like the popsicle over there."

Edward hissed again, taking a step forward but hesitated as Damon fixed a glare on him. He was feeling oddly protective over the small human girl laying there, covered in wires and tubes.

"Weren't you in the middle of something, Frosty? Don't let us stop you from trampling all over the girl's heart." He sent another quick wink Bella's way, making her smile weakly despite the situation, "We'll just visit with her when you're done."

"Who are you and what are you doing here?" Edward demanded petulantly.

"We're friends of hers." Damon answered shortly, his patience with the eternally spoilt brat quickly running out.

"No you're not," Edward sneered, "If you were, I'd know about you. She said she didn't have any friends in Phoenix."

He stepped forward again, ignoring Damon's glare this time. "Who are they Bella? How do you know them?"

Bella shifted trying to straighten herself up, and let out a gasp of pain as her ribs protested the movement. Edward narrowed his eyes as his gaze fell on Jeremy taking her hand comfortingly.

Bella noticed his reaction and it only fuelled her growing anger. "It's none of your business, Edward. Damon is right, you were in the middle of breaking up with me… well, consider us finished. I think you should just leave now."

"I won't leave you here with this dangerous creature… and this boy with his unclean thoughts. You need to come back to Forks with us."

Bella looked at Jeremy and couldn't help snickering a little as he shrugged, looking a bit embarrassed.

"Am I safe with you both, Jer?" She asked softly, trusting his word completely.

Jeremy nodded, squeezing her hand lightly before scowling at Edward. "If you must know, asshole, I've known her since we were six. You've known her all of five minutes and you think you know everything? You really are a condescending dick."

Bella let out a muffled snort at that, she'd known when she'd thought that exact same thing earlier that it was something Jeremy would be likely to say.

Jeremy grinned at her before his expression turned serious. "Don't worry Iz, you don't have to do anything this asshole says."

Growling furiously, Edward moved towards the teenage boy until Damon blocked his way. "Easy there sparkles, I bite. The girl there is perfectly safe from me, but you… not so much. Now, I believe she wanted you to leave, I'm sure little Gilbert does too, and I know I do."

"I won't leave you with them, Bella. They're vile and uncouth, and being around this vampireis just not safe for you."

Bella flinched at his raised voice and Damon, seeing it in his peripheral vision, snarled lowly, veins appearing faintly around his eyes as his fangs extended. To his surprise though Bella steeled herself, taking a deep breath and looking her ex in the eye.

"Being around you wasn't safe for me either, Edward, but that never stopped you from creeping in my room at night."

Jeremy's grip on her hand tightened, but Bella kept her eyes on Edward. "I never realised what a hypocrite you are. Whatever we had is over, just like you wanted! Now, you need to give me what I want for once and just leave."

Damon smirked before moving over to the door, opening it and pointing the way out mockingly. "You heard the girl."

His words were light, but there was an underlying threat to them that had Edward looking at Bella one last time before quickly exiting the room.

Damon watched through the doorway as Edward disappeared as fast as he could without drawing attention from the humans, and then closed the door. He turned back to the other two and his smirk widened as he saw them just gazing at each other.

He coughed lightly, smothering a laugh as they both jumped and looked at him. His humour quickly faded though as Bella looked between the two of them, her eyes filling with tears as everything started to catch up with her.

"Hey," Jeremy soothed her, rubbing her hand and wishing he could hug her without hurting her, "I'm here, it'll be okay."

Bella suppressed a sob, whimpering at the bright flare of pain in her side as it aggravated her broken ribs.

"Oh Iz…" Jeremy sighed and then her tears spilled over.

Edward leaving her so suddenly was cutting her deeply. It hurt being abandoned despite her not being completely in love with him, and now combined with having Jeremy in front of her – the one person she wanted but couldn't have – looking at her the way he was, it was too much.

Damon didn't say anything as he usually might have, instead he just silently stood watch at the door for a few moments while Jeremy comforted his girl.

When her sniffles had died down, he turned back to the two teenagers, eying Bella in particular with an unusually gentle smirk on his face.

"Now that you're all cried out sweet cheeks, what do you say we get to making you feel a whole lot better?"

Bella's amazement had been entertaining for both males as Damon explained some details about his kind of vampire, or the real kind as he put it. Jeremy had also found it interesting to really see how much Damon embraced being a vampire and all that came with it.

Unlike his younger brother, Damon was comfortable in his own skin, at ease with his existence. After Stefan's tortured soul routine, and Elena so often being all 'poor me', it was actually refreshing to be around someone who truly enjoyed life.

"So let me get this straight," Bella asked a little warily, "If I drink some of your blood it will heal me… but I won't turn into a vampire?"

Jeremy nodded as Damon smirked, "Not unless you die with my blood in your system, sweet cheeks."

"But I hate blood." She protested weakly, though after her experience with James a little blood somehow didn't seem a big deal like it once would have.

Common sense won out though, aided by the dull throb of her head, and the sharp ache of her cracked ribs and shattered leg. She eventually looked at Jeremy and nodded her agreement.

"Okay, Jer, if you say it will help me…" Jeremy gave her an encouraging smile and she looked over at Damon shyly. "How do you want to…?"

Damon chuckled, amused by her guilelessness. "Let's keep things simple," He suggested moving closer and giving her an overly flirtatious wink, "It being our first time and all."

Jeremy snorted as Bella giggled softly at his playful teasing, her cheeks flushing pink.

"There was me thinking I'd at least get a date before my first time…" Bella joked making Damon laugh.

"So you and sparkles never…?"

"God no," Bella replied, not noticing how closely Jeremy was paying attention to her answer, "He never even really kissed me, not properly anyway…he said it was 'too dangerous' for him to."

Still looking at Damon, Bella missed the pleased expression on Jeremy's face, though Damon noticed, biting back a smirk.

"Hmm." He murmured then stepped to Bella's side, effectively changing the subject.

"Right then, now I'll bite, and then I want you to drink up until it closes. Got that, sweet cheeks?"

Bella nodded, her stomach rolling a little. She flinched at the crunching sound as Damon bit down, but did as he said and started drinking the minute he pressed his bloody wrist to her mouth.

It wasn't so bad really she thought. Not coppery tasting like she'd expected, instead it was more rich and earthy, and as she swallowed it felt like it was warming her from the inside.

The relief was almost immediate as the throbbing in her head quickly dulled, and the pain elsewhere began to slowly leach away. Pulling away as the wound closed she licked her lips and smiled at the two males watching her before focusing on Damon.

"Thank you."

The simple heartfelt words touched Damon as he looked down at her, and he couldn't help his soft response as he patted her hand.

"You're very welcome, sweet."

Turning abruptly, he made for the door, biting out a quick "I'll be back soon" as he left the room.

~*~III~*~

I'm hanging on another day
Just to see what you throw my way
And I'm hanging on to the words you say
You said that I will be OK

The broken lights on the freeway left me here alone
I may have lost my way now
Haven't forgotten my way home

Damon stopped in the doorway as he arrived back at Bella's room and couldn't help a small smile at the sight in front of him.

Bella seemed to be feeling better since the dose of blood, as she was now completely sitting up, propped against some pillows. While Jeremy was bent over her leg, using a marker he gotten from god knows where to draw on her cast, as he chatted away to her. Bella was still looking a little sad, and was quiet as Jeremy talked, but she looked a lot more relaxed and calm than she had earlier.

It should have been sickeningly sweet, Damon thought as he watched them, but somehow he found it oddly heart-warming. He shook his head at himself, how in the hell had he developed such a soft spot for these two kids?

He could blame at least part of it on the entertainment value though; he'd known Jeremy was in love with the girl already, and she obviously loved the boy in return – he'd been able to tell that within minutes, yet each were utterly clueless to how the other felt. It was like a bad soap opera in its inevitability, yet strangely compelling.

It was unusual, especially lately, for him to be around people when there were no games, no ulterior motives. Even with Stefan it had always felt like a constant game of trying to get one over on each other, and Damon was honestly getting tired of it.

These two with their openness, and their genuine affection were a nice change of pace.

He was drawn out of his thoughts as Bella glanced over, spotting him there and smiling shyly at him.

Noticing Bella shift, Jeremy looked up and grinned as his gaze landed on the takeout bag in Damon's hand. Rolling his eyes at the typical teenage boy food fixation, Damon handed it over, and then watched surprised as Jeremy immediately divided the food, keeping a burger and some of the fries for himself and giving the second burger and the rest of the fries to Bella who dived in gratefully.

"Oh thank god," She moaned as she bit into her burger, "The food here sucks."

Waiting until they'd nearly finished, Damon spoke to Bella suddenly. "Did you have much stuff with you, anything important?"

Bella thought for a moment. "Just some clothes and stuff."

Damon shook his head, sighing explosively. "I followed your ex's trail… he checked out of the hotel, he hasn't left you with anything here."

Bella felt like she'd been kicked. She would have at least expected Alice or Jasper to make sure she got her things, even if Edward was behaving like a spoilt child. To leave her here in Phoenix with no clean clothes, no money…

She shook her head, fighting back the tears that sprang to her eyes and completely missing the loaded look Jeremy and Damon exchanged over her head before Jeremy took one of her hands.

"It's okay, we'll make sure you're alright." He said softly.

Damon walked over to the other side of the room and grabbed the extra chair there, bringing it over so could sit down at Bella's bedside.

"Okay Sweet cheeks, time to spill your guts. If I'm going to help you, then I need to knoweverything."

Bella nodded, her cheeks pale as she looked at him. Reliving it all was the last thing she felt like doing, but he was right. If he was offering to help her, then along with Jeremy she owed him the complete story.

Starting from the beginning, Bella told them how she had moved to Forks and noticed the Cullens, quickly realising there was something strange about them. Damon had frowned heavily as she explained the following events, describing how Edward's actions had been confusing, how he'd blown hot and cold with her.

It sounded like an elaborate game of cat and mouse to Damon, played specifically to draw Bella in, and it bothered him. It sounded a little too much like Katherine's mind games for his liking.

When Bella got the part where Edward had confessed to sneaking into her room every night, Jeremy swore profusely while Damon growled and stood up, crossing the room to the window.

"Let me guess, he had you so wrapped up by then that you didn't even get angry."

Bella nodded, feeling ashamed at Damon's words. "I don't even know why, I should have been disgusted with him… the thought of it makes me feel sick now…"

Damon nodded, unsurprised. "Their kind can't compel people like my kind can, but they have their own methods, some sort of toxin in their scent, or so I've heard. Given long enough, he could easily have had anyone eating out of his hand, agreeing to anything he said."

He turned back from where he'd been watching out the window and looked at Bella. "It's not your fault sweet cheeks, so don't blame yourself. He played a game with you that you had no chance of winning. Keep going now, we still need to know how you ended up here."

Bella nodded as Jeremy squeezed her hand comfortingly, and began to speak again. This time neither of them made a sound until she'd finished, ending with waking up here and Edward ending things with her.

"So, have I got this straight?" Jeremy spoke, glancing toward Damon worriedly, "They killed this guy who chased you all the way here wanting to eat you, but left his two friends alive… real smart that is by the way… then that dick decided to just leave you high and dry?"

"Yeah, that's about it." Bella whispered, tears threatening to spill over again.

He directed another worried look at Damon. Surely these other two Cold Ones were not going to just forget about the third one's death… Bella would be the easiest and most obvious target to take it out on. Especially now that Cullen asshole had pulled his breaking up shit on her.

Damon ran a hand through his hair, thinking quickly. He hadn't really thought past bringing little Gilbert here, had never planned on getting too involved, but something in Bella reminded him of his younger self. She had never asked to be played and manipulated, just like he hadn't.

Since being turned Damon had never been above playing with people himself, but he had rules, morals – however loose they might be – and you didn't play games with the heart, and especially not with innocents like Bella.

Playing at being in love was something he would never have done, never have stooped to, no matter how bad others considered his feeding habits. Nor would he put someone he'd professed to care about in this kind of danger and then just leave them there.

Again he was reminded of Katherine's little games and as he looked at the fragile looking girl in the bed, holding on to Jeremy's hand like it was keeping her afloat, and it probably was, his mind was made up.

"Okay, sweet cheeks. You know you can't stay in… where was it, again… Forks, right? This Victoria, and the other one, whatever his name is, can find you there in a heartbeat if they choose to… and they most likely will choose to."

Bella nodded, wondering what he was getting at, though Jeremy grinned faintly, having a vague idea.

"Well here's what I think. We head back to this Forks, get you all packed up and then you'll come back to Mystic Falls with us. You can still go to school, all that normal teenager stuff, and you'll stay at the Boarding House where we can protect you."

"Boarding house?"

"It's where I live… with my brother, but you don't need to worry about him."

Bella inhaled sharply at the thought of being that close to Jeremy every day, even just as his friend, not to mention the fact she would never feel safe in Forks again. "You'd actually let me live with you? Why?"

Damon shrugged a little uncomfortably. "Why not? Look sweet cheeks, I'm not known for being a good guy… but what do you know, I actually quite like you. I don't like many people, and I definitely don't help many people, but you need it and I'm in a position to give it."

He smirked then, "Besides, little Gilbert here is one of the few I consider a friend, so I'm saving him from having to beg me."

Bella looked at Jeremy who nodded eagerly, his eyes bright at the thought of Bella actually being in Mystic Falls where he could see her every day.

"Okay," Bella answered after a moment, "I'll come to Mystic Falls with you."

Chapter title and song lyrics are from Broken ~ Lifehouse

Thanks as usual to Mommy4Thomas for being sounding board and beta, big blue popsicle for you lovey.

My first time writing quite so much Damon, hope I did him justice.

This story and all my others can be found at my Wordpress site (link on my author page) as well as extra odds and ends. I also update there before I update here.