The Safe Haven

Chapter 1

Hi! If you are new to one of my stories then welcome, and if you aren't then welcome back! I have done several stories like this one now, but I have done a completely different spin. I hope you enjoy, and don't forget to R&R!

Bella woke early the next morning.

She had yet to divulge any details about the past two years of her life, the years she had spent away from the Mikaelson's and her love. Moments after their reunion, Klaus had whisked Bella off upstairs.

Now, she lay awake beside him, taking in just how innocent and young his face looked whilst he was sleeping. There were no frown lines, and no furrowed brows to show his irritation, it was perfect.

She had been awake for almost an hour, thinking of how long she had longed to be back in the arms of Klaus again, and how happy she was now that she had returned to him. She knew that she had to tell him what had happened to her in Washington, and her run in with the large family of vampires. She thought about her father, whom she had left without as much as a goodbye, it was safer that way.

She didn't know how much she wanted to tell them of the past two years. Now that she had finally found her escape, Bella knew that her time with the Cullen's had been a lie, and that was the part she didn't want to tell Niklaus. Once he knew that she had been manipulated and warped by the family of cold ones, she didn't want him to fly off the handle and plan an impromptu trip to Forks. This was a situation she needed to handle calmly, and delicately.

It was still early in the morning when Bella wrapped her robe around herself and stepped into her slippers, before opening the door quietly and making her way down the quiet doors of the Mikaelson compound. She found Rebekah sitting in the kitchen, still in her nightclothes.

"What are you doing up at this hour? Not that I'm complaining, mind, we hardly had a moment to talk before you were whisked away by Niklaus." Bella blushed deeply, hiding her face with her long hair as she walked to the refrigerator.

"Yeah I know, sorry about that. We have the whole day to talk though, we could even talk now before everyone else gets up?" Bella asked, picking up the cup of coffee she made and moving to sit opposite Rebekah at the breakfast table.

Despite her offer, Bella sat quietly at the table, using her index finger to circle the rim of her rapidly cooling coffee cup. Rebekah sat opposite her, looking at her expectantly.

"Bella, whatever it is that has happened that you are unsure of telling us, just know that we would never judge you. You are a part of our family, and this family doesn't judge."

"I'm not worried about being judged, Bekah, I'm worried about Niklaus flying off the handle when he finds out." Bella replied quietly, not looking up at the blonde original.

"Bella, Klaus could never be angry at you about anything. And if you're worried about something following you here, as soon as Freya is awake she will do a spell to ensure you cannot be traced." Rebekah tried to assure the human girl.

"I thought I would feel better once I had left there, and don't get me wrong I am beyond happy that I have found all of you, and reunited with Niklaus, but It just feels off. Okay, you need to listen to what I am about to tell you, without any interruptions or anger, okay?"

When Rebekah nodded, Bella took a deep breath and started to speak.

"Before I came here, I was living in a small town in Washington called Forks, and whilst I was there I became involved with a large coven of cold ones..."

"WHAT!"

"Bekah, you said you wouldn't interrupt or get angry at me." Bella said quietly, hoping that Rebekah's shout had not woken any other residents in the house.

"Bella, how exactly do you expect me to react? You just told me that you were hanging around with a bunch of cold ones for the past two years."

"It wasn't really two years, more like a year and a bit." Bella added.

Rebekah sighed sarcastically.

"Oh yeah, being involved for only a year is so much better. Hanging around cold ones for ten minutes has repercussions Bella."

"I know that, Rebekah! Why do you think I'm here?" Bella whisper-shouted.

In that moment Rebekah's expression changed from one of worry to one of anger.

"You called me asking for help because of something they did? What the hell did they do?"

Bella closed her eyes, reaching out to hold her best friends hand.

"Bekah, you have to calm down. This is why I am worried about telling Niklaus, because I know this is exactly how he would react, he'd be just as angry as you, if not more so."

Bella took a sigh of relief when Rebekah's expression became neutral, at least trying to externally show that she was calm. Internally, Bella was sure that the anger was still there.

"You said involved, how exactly were you involved with the coven?" Rebekah asked, more calmly this time.

"It was about a year after you all left Arizona, and just after I moved to Forks. I was involved with someone called Edward. Well, I say involved, now I know that our whole relationship was based on coercion and manipulation."

When Rebekah remained quiet, Bella continued to speak, keeping her voice down.

"After about six months, I was sure I had no will of my own left. And then the coven left town, and I thought I would be okay. After a while, it all started going downhill. I wasn't sleeping, I couldn't keep anything down, it was horrible." Bella closed her eyes and shook her head, trying to rid herself of the memory.

"Like you were going through withdrawals?" Rebekah asked.

"Yes, like that exactly. In a way I think I was, the way he used to coerce me into doing things was done so often I think it was like some sort of drug, or had the same effects as a drug. And then he left and I got my own will back for a while, and then his sister showed up at my door and convinced me to go to Italy to get Edward." Bella continued to explain, leaving out the part about the her visit to Voltera and her run in with the Voltori.

"And after that everything went back to normal. My dad hates Edward, so every now and again he would forbid me from seeing him, which would give me a chance to get back to myself. They never left me alone for long though, they couldn't let the power they had over me slip."

"So if they've been controlling you, how is it exactly that you are here?" Rebekah narrowed her eyebrows in confusion.

"A while after I was coerced into marrying him..."

"You married him?!"

"Rebekah, please keep..." Bella was interrupted when she heard a voice behind her.

"You're married?"

Niklaus' voice was quiet and he wore a broken expression on his face.

"Nik, no..." Bella watched as Klaus turned on his heel and left. Without another word to Rebekah, Bella was on her feet and chasing after him. She caught him just as he was about to leave the compound.

"Nik, please, you have to listen. If you know the full story you will understand." She begged.

"What is there to understand, Bella? You love someone else." Niklaus sounded defeated.

"No I don't," Bella raised her hands to cradle Niklaus' face, "I love you, and only you. Please tell me you believe me."

Bella was crying now. Tears leaving trails down her face as she continued to look into the eyes of the man she loved.

"Are you married?" He asked quietly.

She shook her head.

"I left before I let it get that far. I wasn't myself, Niklaus, I was not the girl you fell in love with in Arizona. I was being controlled."

Klaus furrowed his eyebrows, his eyes flashing with anger.

"Controlled?"

"By cold ones. Will you let me explain?" Bella asked, still not removing her hands from Klaus' face.

He nodded, letting Bella lead him back to the kitchen where Rebekah was waiting to hear the rest of her story.