-CHAPTER FOUR: FIRST DAY

"This is absolute madness!" Caroline complained, pacing back and forth in front of Elena's bed. She stopped to look at her friends. "This is mad right?"

Elena pulled a pillow over her face and groaned.

"Yes Caroline," Bonnie nodded, leaning against the headboard of the bed. "This definitely constitutes as a 'mad' situation."

"I'm not even back for a full 24 hours and already my world has turned to chaos!" Elena said before slamming the pillow down on her crossed legs.

Bonnie patted her back sympathetically as Caroline sat down at the edge of the covers. "I mean is just one nice relaxing day, reuniting with one of my best friends, so much to ask for!?"

"In this town it is," Caroline answered, earning two annoyed looks. "Well it's true!"

Elena tilted to the side so she could rest her head on Bonnie's shoulder. "I should've stayed in Forks longer."

"Damon wouldn't have allowed that," Bonnie said.

"Who cares what Damon thinks!" Caroline raised her tone. "He doesn't get to dictate our lives!"

Elena debated her friend for a second, "It's how he looks out for us. In a way, he really does care."

Caroline and Bonnie gave her twin dubious looks. "Damon has, and will always, only look out for himself. He may treat you better than most, but that doesn't make up for all the trouble and heartache he's caused to everyone else." Caroline spoke.

Elena still shook her head in denial, but declined the opportunity to argue her point.

Seeing this, Caroling continued "Speaking of Damon, I still don't understand what happened earlier with him and Stefan, and Bella for that matter. All three of them claim to know each other, then the next second they have no idea the other exists? It doesn't make any sense."

Bonnie's gaze grew speculative while Elena's grew worried. "Damon and Stefan didn't even give her a second thought once we returned to the Boarding House. All they focused on was filling me in on their plan and having me dagger Mikael. What exactly happened when Bella woke up?"

Caroline and Bonnie exchanged glances. Bonnie was the one to explain.

~Flashback~
(Earlier that afternoon)

Hours had gone by after Bella's collapse and the party had long since lost its festiveness. After everyone chipped in to help with the clean up, the mayor and sheriff regretfully said goodbye, having other duties to attend to. The remainders tried staying busy, but eventually they all settled down. Bonnie sat in a recliner and stared at the empty fireplace; Jeremy took his place beneath Bella's head, stroking her hair occasionally; Caroline paced back and forth until Tyler yelled at her to take a seat; Tyler and Matt had a faint tousle over who took the place by Bella's feet, and Tyler won leaving Matt to stand leaning against the recliner Bonnie stayed on.

Everyone had the same questions running through their minds: What happened between the Bella, Damon, and Stefan? Did the vampire brothers do something to her? Why did Bella claim to know them if she'd never even seen them before? Why were Damon and Stefan so adamant about getting to her? What made them stop? Why did they forget? Would she forget? But no one in the group wanted to voice them aloud.

When Bella began showing signs of waking up, her fingers twitching and her head moving back and forth restlessly, the Mystic Falls gangs all turned their attention to her.

It took a few minutes longer, but eventually Bella slowly opened her eyes, and with a little help from Jeremy, sat up fully on the couch. Unconsciously, she brought up a hand to her forehead and watched unseeingly in front of her. She seemed to be in a land of her own.

Jeremy's worried look to Bonnie brought her into action. She knelt down in front of the younger girl and took the hand that was on her head into her own. "Bella? Are you ok? Does your head hurt?"

Bella's head turned unhurriedly toward the calming voice. She blinked once, twice, and a light returned to her eyes. "…Bonnie?" She noticed the others watching her. "Is the party over? Did I fall asleep?"

"You don't remember?" Caroline asked, walking over to stand beside Bonnie.

"Remember what?"

~Flashback End~

"So unless all three of them are keeping something to themselves," Bonnie concluded, "they honestly have no idea what happened between them."

"Are we going to do anything about it?" Caroline asked.

Bonnie shook her head. "There's nothing we really can do. At the very least I guess we could keep them away from each other?"

"That wouldn't last for even one day," Caroline denied.

"It's worth a shot," Elena shrugged. The three grew quiet.

Caroline stood up, "Well I got to go." She picked up her phone and purse as she headed to the bedroom door. "I have to get to school early to help with some more with the dance on Saturday." She stopped and spun, "You guys are coming right?"

"We'll be there," Bonnie was quick to assure, muttering quietly under her breath, "you'd kill us if we didn't."

"I heard that!" Caroline retorted, but she had already left the room.

As soon as the front door closed, Elena turned to Bonnie, "Homecoming."

"Saturday's definitely going to be interesting," Bonnie agreed.

"So I'm guessing Damon and Stefan filled you in on their plan?" Elena questioned, playing with the covers in her lap.

"If you're referring to the plan where we team up with Mikael and ambush Klaus to kill him with a legendary white oak stake, then yes, I am well aware of their plan."

"Stefan said that as long as no one lets their human emotions get in the way, everything should be fine," Elena confided, "But they also said I'm suppose to dagger Rebekah so she won't accidently get in our way."

Bonnie gave her a look, "It sounds like you don't want to. I thought you didn't like Rebekah, I can't say I do."

"I don't," Elena said. "At least I don't think I do. It's just that before I left for Forks and she told me about her family's past… I don't know. I guess I just feel like we connected or something."

"Elena…"

"Everyone in her life has either turned their back or betrayed her at some point, and I don't want to be one of them." Elena quickly shook her head. "But never mind that. Whatever happens happens. The real question is what we're going to do about Jeremy and Bella."

"What about them?" Bonnie wondered, not seeing where Elena was taking this.

"Do you really want the two of them caught up in all the chaos that will go on tomorrow?"

"You have a point there," Bonnie found herself nodding. "But they know about the dance, Jeremy already asked me to be his date."

"We'll come up with something!" Elena said determinedly.

"Right," Bonnie said, unenthusiastically. "Forbidding the two most stubborn people we know not to go to the most anticipated high school homecoming dance, should be a piece of cake."

*TVD *TVD *TVD

"So why aren't we allowed to go to the homecoming party?" Bella asked Jeremy in their history class. It was her first day at a new school, and surprisingly (to her) few people paid her mind, though that might have been because of the dance taking place the next day.

"Don't ask me," Jeremy responded, tapping his pen on his desk in frustration. "No one tells me anything."

He recalled Elena and Bonnie driving the two of them to school that morning. They insisted that Jeremy should show Bella around town instead of going to the dance as previously planned. Apparently many things had changed around town since Bella last lived here, and she needed to be made aware of them.

Jeremy fought with Bonnie for a brief moment, and Bella gave Elena the puppy dog eyes, but eventually the two 16 years olds nodded their heads in defeat. It was all too obvious that it was just an excuse to not let them go.

Mr. Saltzman continued with his lecture, leaving the teens busy with their notes, but at the next opportune moment Bella whispered, "Why don't we just crash?"

Jeremy responded with an amazed look, "Innocent little Isabella Swan wants to crash a party? I thought you don't even like to dance?"

"Oh shut up!" Bella glared. "Seriously! The last time I ever went to a party was never, and everyone around here is making such a big deal about it. A little dancing can't hurt me that much, and it's not like we've never not listened to Elena before."

"That is true," Jeremy admitted while internally debating with himself. The worried looks on Bonnie's and Elena's faces left no doubt in his mind that something supernatural would go down tomorrow night. And that something would most likely be dangerous since neither he nor Bella was allowed to attend. And if it was going to be dangerous, there would be the possibility of someone getting hurt… or worse.

Jeremy turned in his seat, "What time should I pick you up?"

*TVD *TVD *TVD

"So how is your first day at Mystic Falls High going for you?" Matt asked when Bella joined his lunch table outside. He watched with avid interest as she plopped in the seat across from him and immediately took a bite of a crisp red apple. "I'm taking that as a 'pretty good'."

Bella swallowed, then grinned. "Everyone's so nice and friendly here!" she couldn't help but state.

"Are they not back in Forks?" Matt laughed.

Bella shot him a glare during another bite, then said, "Fork's people are very friendly I'll have you know. They are just suffocating as well."

"Who's suffocating?" Elena asked, joining the table on Matt's side.

"Forks," Bella said.

"Forks are suffocating?"

"Forks is suffocating," Bella corrected. "The people there never left me alone."

"That is troubling," Elena agreed as she peered at Bella more closely. "What has you in this good mood? Not that I'm complaining or anything, it's just that typically first days are troubling for people."

Bella gestured wildly around her, "It's sunny here!" She smiled. "It is always raining and cloudy and wet over yonder; here, it's just right."

"Well then… To great weather!" Matt cheered, raising his Gatorade to the sky. Elena laughed and Bella's eyes sparkled as she joined in.

"Here here!"

"And what's this?" a sharp voice cut into their tiny celebration. Bella looked up to see a beautiful blond haired girl with dazzling light blue eyes watching them, standing with her weight on one leg.

For a moment, the unnatural beauty of the girl reminded Bella of Rosalie, but with a shake of her head if flew away. This girl obviously wasn't a vampire; it was sunny outside.

Bella gave her a large smile "Hi, I'm Bella. Are you friends with these two weirdo's too?" she asked, gesturing to Elena and Matt. She recalled hearing about a pretty blond cheerleader who hung around her friends a lot.

At that simple, innocent comment, Elena and Matt turned their grimaces at Rebekah to open shock toward Bella, and Rebekah responded with just a curious look. "I'm sorry?"

Bella scooted over and patted the seat next to her, silently inviting Rebekah to sit. "Well I heard that you're Matt's date to the dance tomorrow. You must be good friends with him. He wouldn't ask just anyone you know."

"I was the one who asked him," Rebekah said, staying standing.

Undeterred, Bella shrugged. "And he said yes. He still wouldn't agree to go with just anyone." With another bite of the apple, Bella turned her head to Elena. "And I'm guessing Stefan's taking you?"

"No, Bonnie's my date," Elena said while shifting the food on her plate around with her fork.

Bella, noting her obvious comfortableness, turned back to Rebekah. "I'm sorry, but what's your name again?"

Rebekah gave her a long look, and replied, "Rebekah, Rebekah Mikaelson."

"How long have you known the gang?" Bella wondered, moving from the finished apple to the healthy pile of mac and cheese.

With a nervous look to Matt, Elena interrupted. "Maybe we should let her go," she told Bella, "Rebekah's planning this dance with Caroline and they still have a lot they need to do."

The blond immediately took Bella's previously offered seat. "Caroline's handling things, I have time. " She turned her head, "Define 'the gang'."

"Oh you know: Elena, Matt, Care, Bonnie, Jere, and you can't forget Ty." Bella was the only one eating at this point.

Rebekah grew speculative, watching Elena and Matt withering in their seats, "How long have you known them?"

"Basically my whole life," Bella admitted.

"I haven't seen you around town?"

"I was living in Forks," Bella's face grew sad. "But some things happened and I needed a fresh start… well that and I missed my remaining family."

"And who are they?" Rebekah asked.

Bella, with her mouth full, pointed at Elena with her fork before moving it to Matt. Rebekah's eyes widened, and Elena and Matt froze.

Scared of what else Bella might reveal to the vampire, Elena inconspicuously nudged Matt, trying to get him to change the topic. Nodding, he cleared his throat and said, "What time should I pick you up tomorrow from the Boarding House?"

Rebekah opened her mouth to reply, yet Bella beat her, "Boarding House?"

"The Salvatore's home," Matt said.

"Why would you be picked up from there?"

"I've known the Salvatore brothers for a while," Rebekah said. "That's where I live."

"I can understand that," Bella said as she tilted her head, "but don't you want to get ready with friends? Are people getting ready with you there?"

Rebekah shook her head, her ponytail swaying side to side. "I didn't really think to do that. This will actually be my first dance."

Seeing where Bella would inevitably take this Elena tried to intervene, but was not fast enough. "You could get ready at my place if you want. You don't know me, but I don't know a lot of people here so in a way it doesn't really matter. I may not be the biggest fan of dances, but I am well aware that it is more fun getting ready with friends than alone." Bella laughed, "Just as long as you're not a blood sucking vampire, I think we'll be good!"

She continued laughing until she noticed the rest of the table wasn't joining her. Her expression lost its cheer, "Um, you are not really a vampire, right?"

"No, no! Definitely not!" Elena said.

"Vampires? Urban myth!" Matt commented at the same time.

"What if I am?" Rebekah asked, stubbornly ignoring the other two. "What would you do?"

Bella looked thoughtful as she said, "Do you kill people?"

"Yes."

"Do you mean to?"

"Yes."

"Do you enjoy it?"

"Sometimes."

"Hmm," Bella tapped her chin with a finger, "Do you have good control over your thirst?"

Rebekah appeared to be affronted for a second before saying, "Of course."

"Do you feel like feeding on me?"

"You smell nice, but not at the moment, no."

The junior smiled and clapped her hands together. "Then we're good! You don't bite me, I don't die, and I think we'll be even!" She then jumped up as the warning bell rang through the school speakers. "That's my signal to go, Elena can give you my address." Bella left, shouting over her shoulder, "But you better not get to my house any earlier than 10:00! A girl needs her beauty sleep!"

"What just happened?" Matt asked dumbfounded when Bella left their view.

"I'm not entirely sure," Elena said, shaking her head in part denial. She turned to head to glare at Rebekah, "What are you planning?"

Rebekah's own shocked face disappeared at Elena's words. "Nothing at the moment." She stood up, "I'm going to need that address of hers if you would be so kind."

*TVD *TVD *TVD

"This place hasn't changed a bit," Bella commented to Jeremy as they walked into Mystic Grill. She took in the familiar set up; the tables, chairs, pool tables, and bar – none seemed to have moved an inch since she left.

The bartender stopped wiping down the counter at her voice, lifting his head he raised his voice, "Baby Bells!? Is that you!?"

Bella frowned at the nickname, but continued to race and give the owner a hug. "Roger!" She slapped his shoulder, "I hate that nickname!"

"You'll always be Baby Bells to me," Roger laughed. "But look at you now!" He took in her more mature appearance, "You're blossoming into a gorgeous young lady!"

Jeremy nodded his agreement. Gone were the young Bella days with her messy ponytails, big teeth, and questionable fashion sense. Here stood a lady with soft, long and wavy brown hair, wide chocolate eyes, a lithe and petite body, and a dazzling pearly white smile to match.

Bella turned red and quickly changed the subject, "You wouldn't be looking to hire right now would you?"

The guys smiled at her familiar antics, and Roger said, "I guess one more waitress wouldn't hurt. Chances are you'll do a much better job than this lazy slacker over here."

"Hey now!" Jeremy rebutted, "I'll have you know I'm an excellent worker!" But he was routinely ignored as Bella caught up with a little town gossip and planned her work schedule.

"So what's the dig on the Salvatore brothers?" Bella brought up after agreeing to work three days a week. She swirled her glass of club soda at the bar, "Anything juicy?"

Jeremy looked weary at the subject matter and tried, "Why do you want to know about them?"

Bella shrugged, "No reason."

"They arrived only about a year ago," Roger started in-between wiping down the counter and serving drinks, "Stefan's the brooding senior in high school and his older brother, Damon, is a member of the town council. No trouble with the law, as far as I know, but I'm not the first to admit that there's something about the two of them that just—the town's changed since their arrival."

"Changed?"

"Yeah, I don't really know how to describe it," Roger tried to explain. "More visitors have been arriving, there's been many odd accidents occurring, and an unhealthy amount of people have been found dead or listed as missing; it's just different."

A frown appeared on Bella's face, "And it's all happened since Stefan and Damon appeared?"

"That's right. And then Stefan wasn't seen all this past summer until about the beginning of the new school year; no one knows what he's been up to, but he seems more… carefree since his return."

"That is interesting," Bella agreed, finishing the rest of her drink with a giant slurp. "But they're apparently good friends with this bunch," she shoved Jeremy, "so they must be some pretty nice people, right? I can't wait to meet them."

Roger halted his movements to glance at the time, "If you wait around for another 20 minutes or so Damon should come in, he usually does around this time of day."

Before Bella had the time to respond, Jeremy quickly stood from the stool and pulled her to her feet. "Sorry," he said, "but we have to go dress shopping for the dance tomorrow. Maybe another time."

Roger watched with unveiled humor as Bella complained on their way out the door, "But I hate shopping!"

*TVD *TVD *TVD

"So I still don't understand this whole situation Elena's in," Bella said to Jeremy as she changed in a small thrift shop. Jeremy slouched in the seat across from her dressing room, an arm holding up his head. "I mean, it sounded like Stefan was seriously the love of her life, her true soul mate, her partner for eternity, and now they dodge each other like there's no tomorrow? Did they have a huge fight or misunderstanding or something? And Damon, Stefan's threatening older brother. How exactly does he fit into this picture?"

"I'm not sure what's going on with Damon, but as far as I know Elena still loves Stefan," Jeremy said, leaning a little straighter in his seat. "But Stefan had to take care of a few things this summer—that's why no one saw him until the beginning of school—and when he got back he had changed, just like Roger said."

"Changed?" Bella stuck her head out of the curtain for a second before going back into cover.

Jeremy nodded his head, expression going grim. "His priorities are different. He's not safe, I don't trust him."

Bella pushed back the curtain and walked out, leaning a hand on her waist. "Have you guys thought about his side of the story? I mean people don't usually change their whole personality unless they have good reason to. Do you know what those are? I think you're cutting into him a bit too thick? You say he's not safe, but what if he is? Jeremy?"

Jeremy shook his head, quickly getting to his feet. Taking in her navy blue dress, all he could say was, "You're gorgeous."

A blush painted Bella's cheeks as she automatically looked down to inspect the dress herself. It was a simple dress, one shoulder, navy, with lace over it. It fell to her mid-thigh and had a black ribbon tied loosely under the bust. "You think?"

Jeremy grinned, thinking how the darkness brought out the beauty of her pale skin and the red highlights in her brown hair. "Definitely."

Bella suddenly frowned. "Hey Jere? Are you happy?"

"I like to think so, yes," Jeremy replied, not knowing where she would take this.

"So you and Bonnie…"

"What about us?" Jeremy grew stiff.

"Are you happy?"

"Why are you as—"

"Because I worry about you! You've been through so much and you deserve to have the best life possible. And I love Bonnie, and I absolutely adore that you to got together with her. But are you happy? Truly happy?"

Jeremy's expression grew soft at Bella's tearful expression. "Come here you, he said as he gathered the smaller girl into his arms. "Silly Bella," he laughed, "and here I was worried you liked me or something."

"That'd be disgusting," Bella laughed, stepping back to wipe her face. "You're my brother."

Jeremy laughed, "And you're my sister."

Bella smiled.

"I happy Bella, true to God happy," Jeremy said. "And you just about made my year when you decided to move over here."

"Really?"

"Really." He pulled the curtain open and gently pushed Bella inside the room. "Now go get changed so we can go pay for this perfect dress of yours. I'm sick of shopping and ice cream sundaes are just calling our names."

*TVD *TVD *TVD

"So what are you going to do about Rebekah?" Bonnie asked Elena. While Bella and Jeremy were off secretly shopping, the two girls chilled at Bonnie's, discussing what occurred during lunch. "Bella is too observant, she'd notice if Rebekah didn't show up at her house tomorrow."

"Which is why I can't stab Rebekah tonight as planned," Elena admitted. She paced the floor just as Caroline did the night before. "And I can't just leave the two of them alone in the same house together, it's bad enough that Bella's just going to invite her in that easily.

"That being said, would you be fine with getting ready at Bella's tomorrow with them? It's not what we planned, but hopefully we'll be able to catch Rebekah alone afterword," Elena elaborated.

"Of course," Bonnie nodded before wondering, "By the way, have you given Bella anything with vervain in it yet? At the very least it will keep her from being compelled."

"No…" Elena stopped in her tracks, her eyes widening.

"Hey," Bonnie placated the girl. "No worries." She walked over to her vanity and opened her jewelry box to reveal a small silver bracelet. Handing it over to Elena, she said, "I made this the very minute I learned Bella would be moving here. Just in case."

Elena hugged it to her chest, "You're a life saver!"

Smiling Bonnie just rolled her shoulders, "I know."

A lull passed between the two, and Elena leant against the bed frame with a small frown on her face. "It's always going to be like this isn't it?" she said.

Bonnie returned with an inquisitive look and let Elena continue, "All the talking we ever do nowadays has to do with the supernatural: worrying about vampires, fretting about hybrids, stressing over the Originals. Our lives have definitely not turned out the way I envisioned."

"It won't always be like this," said Bonnie. "There are both good and bad times experienced in ones life. This is definitely one of those bad times. But after bad comes good, and after tomorrow I'm pretty positive our lives are going to turn around."

She jokingly lightly punched Elena's shoulder. "So cheer up missy! And hey—whoever said we couldn't not talk about the supernatural!? Did you see everyone's faces when little Bella showed up at school all grown up…"

For the next couple of hours, the two lounged on Bonnie's bed, laughing at little things and smiling at great moments. Neither knew it then, but both were experiencing that calm before the storm, the last sense of peace before the chaos struck.

Yet even that didn't last long, the second after Elena left the house, a grimace appeared on Bonnie's face; she could sense a small bit of what would come. She took a deep breath steeling herself against those thoughts, before reaching for her car keys – she had something else she needed to do. Ten minutes later found her knocking at the Lockwood Manor.

"Bonnie?" the Mayor wondered after opening the white door to reveal the young girl. "Are you looking for Tyler?"

The teenager shook her head, "No, it's you I needed to see."

Mrs. Lockwood grew serious at the solemn expression and ushered Bonnie in. When they both settled on the couch, Bonnie voiced her thoughts, "It's about Bella. I have a hunch about what happened the other day and I need your help."

"Of course," Mrs. Lockwood quickly agreed. "What can I do for you?"

Bonnie's intense gaze bored into the Mayor's eyes, "Has an Isabella ever lived in this town before? More specifically, during the 1800s?"

Happy Almost New Years Eve =]

Here's the fourth chapter, before the New Year as promised. I really would consider this chapter the calm before the storm.

I wish I could post Chapter Five: Homecoming, but that piece is still under works, sorry. There are many things I'm going to reveal then, some more subtly than other, so be on the look out for the next update! (I'm really excited for it!)

Till next time!

PS :) Happy Birthday to me!

PS Reviews are awesome! (: