24: Timber

She skidded to a halt next to Klaus and stared at the front gate that was now on the floor in the middle of the courtyard. Looking up at him, she could see that he was angry. When she followed his gaze, she could understand why. There was a quiet standoff going on between the Cullens, as the Cold Ones they brought along and their own vampires. Jeri looked pissed off; it was unlikely that she’d be finished with whatever she was trying to do for them.

“Ah, there she is,” Edward quipped and held out his hand for Bella to cross the courtyard and to take his hand. “You’re done playing, come.”

She took a step back, so she was half behind Klaus. It was strange to see Edward again, it was familiar, but she also felt enraged. The nerve of him coming here to get her was mindboggling. She looked around as she tuned out the voices of Klaus talking to Edward, far removed from polite and she was slightly pushed aside as the family stepped in front of her. To protect her. To make sure that she’d be safe. She believed she heard Rebekah mutter something about Bella had needed to stay hidden to make sure they wouldn’t have seen her, and Bella snapped.

Something inside of her, her helplessness, her fear, got replaced by rage, fire coursing through her veins. No more. No more belittling. No one was going to ever lay a hand on her, and she was not going to allow Klaus and his family to fight her battles for her. She was going to do this on her own, even if it would kill her. Growling, she pushed passed Klaus and Kol and ran towards Edward and Carlisle at full speed. She saw the slow smiles on their faces before knocking the both of them over in surprise and landed on top of Carlisle with a smirk on her face.

“No more,” she said with a low voice and tore off one of his arms with ease. Esme wanted to come to her husband’s rescue while Edward was still on the floor, looking at Bella in shock. “Stay back,” Bella warned Esme with a growl, her eyes flashing amber.

She focused back on Carlisle and twirled his arm around in her hand. “Is there anything you wish to say to me, Your Highness?”

“You… you changed?” He said confused, looking up at her as he tried to push her off, but she had her knee firmly on his other arm. Her other hand reached down to wrap her fingers around his throat, squeezing slowly. “Please, Bella, don’t.”

“Don’t? Please?” She blinked at him as her nails dug into his marble skin. She could feel the venom on her fingertips, a funny little nag it was. “Why would I stop? You never stopped when I begged.”

“I’m your King.”

“Hardly,” she huffed as she smacked Edward with Carlisle’s arm as he was getting up. “Stay down!” Before Bella knew it, she was launched across the courtyard, right into Kol, but still holding on to Carlisle’s arm. She got up with a growl and wanted to go again as the two men scrambled to their feet, but Kol stopped her. “Let me go.”

“Well, I now see why Davina wasn’t returning any of my calls,” Kol muttered as the tiny witch pushed passed the wall of Cold Ones and revealed herself with a devilish smile on her face. He looked down at Bella, an expression on her face that he couldn’t quite place. The way she launched herself at her tormentors was unnatural for her. “What’s gotten into you? We had this!”

“Jeri, do something about that witch please,” Elijah said kindly as he kept an eye on his side of the courtyard. Seeing Bella launch herself at Carlisle and Edward had been a shock to all of them, he found her fortunate that no one of their side attempted to thwart her actions, apart from Davina. Why was Davina on the opposing side? Did she hate Klaus that much?

“Aw,” Davina grinned as she put her hands in her side. “I knew it. I knew I was right! Anyway, hand her over Klaus and no destruction has to take place.”

“You’re making a big mistake, Davina,” Klaus warned her. His eyes firmly on the family that tormented his Bella. “Today is not a good day to insert yourself into business you should stay out of.”

Jeri zipped to his side at vampire speed as soon as she ripped apart a cold one that attempted to stop her. Her eyes narrowed in hate on the young witch as she stood to support him. “This the witch Kol told me about that you hoped to help you?”

Klaus nodded. “Clearly, she had other matters to deal with.”

“Well, aren’t you happy that you got me instead now?” She smiled deviously as she laid eyes on her.

“Oh, very much so,” he mused before he saw how Kol had no choice but to let go of Bella after she bit him for the second time. He watched her make a run for it again and instead of running straight towards them and thus towards Davina; she made sure she was behind Cold Ones at all times. She grabbed a vampire with the same pixie-cropped hair as Alice and ripped off her head. He fought a smile when she exclaimed a ‘yippie!’.

Davina raised an eyebrow, scoffing at their confidence. “You’re a vampire. What are you going to do? Turn me at best?”

Jeri grinned, throwing her arm out and sent the little bitch flying into an end table, destroying the trinkets on display. “I can drain you of what you take foolishly for granted…”

“Do it,” Kol muttered, hurt by Davina’s betrayal and hurt by Bella for yet again biting him. “I’m in the mood to kill. Can we, please, Nik?”

Rebekah blinked as she saw something fly through the air towards them. It bounced a few times on the ground before them and came to a rolling halt at Jessica’s feet. Jessica picked it up by the hair and showed it to Klaus. “She beheaded the Queen,” she deadpanned before kicking the head into two other vampires on the opposing side. “And it makes for a great soccer ball!”

“What the hell did you do to her?” Edward screamed as he dodged Carlisle’s arm again. “She’s a wild animal!”

Bella pounced on Edward again, knocking him yet again to the ground but had to duck because he took a swing at her. “Am I going to be the only one who’s going to deal with these fucks?” She snarled as Edward pushed her off of him. After getting back to her feet, she grabbed the nearest Cold One and threw her towards the Mikaelsons.

She then used her speed to avoid a one armed Carlisle; he was furious for her killing Esme. But if she had to be honest, Esme had been easy, she wasn’t much of a fighter, and more worried about Carlisle than herself and that had been her undoing. Bella grinned, she was having fun as she kept zooming around to dodge Carlisle, running circles around the compound and breaking up the ranks of the Cold Ones.

Jessica looked at Elijah before looking at Klaus and then shrugged. “Screw this, I’m joining her,” she said before grabbing the nearest Cold One for a fight.

Jeri was on top of Davina; her hand pressed to her forehead as she used her strength to keep the girl down. She had so much power in her; it was intoxicating. A pure witch. Jeri sensed that if Davina would have had the potential to become a regent for the covens in New Orleans. And aside from that, also that she was power hungry, which explained why she was on the side of the – on the surface – unkillable vampires.

Klaus was still standing there, in shock. Did Bella just swear? Kol sped off after Jessica after making sure that Jeri was having fun with Davina safely, and Marcel’s vampires advanced as well. It soon became a mess. Body parts were flying around, a handful of vampires from Klaus’ army were sprawled over the floor. While Klaus was very much in the moment as he pulled apart the bigger one of the Cold Ones, Peter informed him that it had been Emmett, Bella’s adoptive father; he had to focus not to get distracted by Bella’s swearing.

Of course, he kept an ear out for her. The moment she’d say help or no more, or if she’d scream, he’d be by her side. However all he could hear was her cursing someone and telling them to stay away because she was busy. And it was bloody arousing.

“Jessica, no!” Marcel’s voice sounded, causing Klaus to turn around to see what the vampire was doing. “Oh, no, why did you do that? She was one of ours! That was Alvarez!”

“She attacked me!” Jessica said defensively. “Of course I kill her!”

Klaus grunted when Emmett hit him in the face and caused him to momentarily lose his footing and was shoved up against the wall. “Are you taking care of my girl?” Emmett asked as he punched the wall next to him. “Is she alright?”

“She’s fine mate,” Klaus grumbled as he tried to push Emmett off of him with his feet. “Why would you care?”

“She’s my girl,” the vampire replied as he loosened his hold on him. “And I am sorry for what my family has put her through. But right now, I’d like to be with my wife. It’s over. We’re losing.”

“You are, but I’m not going to put you out of your misery without a fight.”

Emmett smirked as he grabbed hold of Klaus’ shirt and threw him across the courtyard. “Wasn’t planning on making it easy for you,” he replied as Klaus slid down the wall onto his ass. “Look at you, a flying monkey!”

Klaus let out a loud growl as he rose to his feet, his eyes flashing from red to amber as he stormed at Emmett and slammed him into the nearest wall. “How dare you treat Bella the way she’s been treated for her entire life? How dare you take away her light? She is a beautiful human being, and you tore her apart, layer for layer until there was nothing left of her. For what? Your own curiosity? Mate, I’m no saint, but what you did is utterly deplorable. Even I have my limits.” Emmett was trying to break free, so Klaus tore off one of his arms and shoved him back against the wall, holding him in place with his arm. “You were her father. What father allows his child, his daughter, to be treated like that?”

“Niklaus.”

Klaus threw Emmett’s arm on the discard pile and tore off his head before turning around to look at his brother. “What, Elijah?”

“I think we’re done.”

He observed the carnage and slowly but steadily a broad grin appeared on his face. All the Cold Ones were scattered across the floor, and he was glad to see that most of their vampires were still on two feet. Davina was a crumbling mess in a corner, but still alive. His family looked dishevelled but in one piece, all wearing the same triumphant smile.

His grin turned into a frown when he noticed Bella wasn’t present. And neither were the remains of Edward Cullen. “Where is she?” He tried to catch her scent, but there was too much disruption in their courtyard scent wise that he was unable to smell her. “Spread out, look for Bella!” he said as he rushed to his study. When she wasn’t there, he could feel anxiety and panic rise in his chest. He rushed to her room, but she wasn’t there either, and the basement was empty too.

“Anyone! Tell me you found her?” He demanded as he marched into the courtyard, kicking away one of the bodies.

“There is no sign of her, Niklaus,” Elijah replied calmly.

“Don’t act all calm, Elijah,” Klaus pointed at his brother, furious. “Something has happened to my Bella, and she’s not inside!”

“It wasn’t me!” Jessica quickly objected as she stared at them, wide eyed. “I swear, I didn’t touch her!”

“We know, Jessica, don’t worry,” Elijah said in the same voice he had used on Klaus only a moment before. Something inside of Klaus snapped, and he kicked against the remains of Carlisle.

“Marcel, have your vampires clean this mess up. We’re going on a hunt!” With that, he stepped outside of the compound and surprisingly caught a whiff of Bella. She was outside. “Bloody hell!” he cursed as he followed her scent, slowly. She was zigzagging through New Orleans, it seemed. There were clusters of a stronger scent as if she’d been reading the road signs, but then again, he doubted that she could have read it.

The fucker took Bella, and he needed road signs to tell himself where he was going. Where in the bloody hell was he taking her? “I’m going to tear up the wanker, limb from limb,” he growled as he was joined by Kol and Jeri. “I swear, there won’t be a piece of him left if he’s hurt her again.”

“We’re right with you, brother,” Kol said encouragingly. “Elijah and Rebekah stayed behind to help clean up. We just thought it wouldn’t be a great idea to have you go off all on your own.”

“Thank you,” he muttered, still wondering what was going on as they turned another corner before finding the main road. He was just about to start running when Peter ran up to them.

“She’s at a forested area with water; Alice saw Edward make a decision, something about giving up. I don’t think Edward took Bella, but it’s likely that she took him.”

“That’s nonsense, Bella doesn’t dare to leave the compound,” Kol huffed.

“Well, it’s obvious that she did,” Peter pointed out. “Try the Bayou, I’m going back to help clean up.”

“Thank you, Peter,” Jeri smiled at him and nudged him away with her magic. Siphoning all the magic out of Davina and into herself had left her with a high, and she loved it. It sucked that she was now on the hunt for Bella when she’d rather had taken Kol away for the fuck of his life while they were both still riding an adrenaline high. Although, of course, it was imperative that Bella returned, Jeri couldn’t imagine what Klaus would do if something would happen to the girl.

When they set foot in the Bayou, a handful of bodies were piled up on display for all to see. Bella’s scent was all over them.

“Someone was hungry,” Jeri deadpanned.

“Careless,” Kol added as he observed the artwork. “Although, it is absolutely beautiful, they’re piled up like an asterisk. As if she was saying; ‘here’s a gigantic footnote!’.”

“This is unlike Bella,” Klaus muttered worriedly. Sure, the fighting had drained them all and had them all wanting to feed to gather their strength, but this was overkill and, from what he could see, these weren’t criminals either.

A male scream cut through the woods, causing the three of them to head towards the sound and were surprised to find Bella standing over parts of Edward. His head was still attached to his torso, but his arms and legs were in pieces laying next to him, and she had gotten a good chunk out of his chest as well. Klaus was surprised the vampire was still alive and fear was in his eyes. “Bella, love?”

“Oh, such a shame, I wanted to do this on my own,” Bella sighed as she wiped her hands on her pants. “Oh well, you’re here now. Want to have a go at him?”

“What are you doing?” Her behaviour had Klaus worried, and he could hear Kol suck in a breath too.

“I’m taking my revenge. What does it look like?” She rolled her eyes at Klaus and reached for Edward’s genitals. “One second, let me shut him up.” She took hold of the base of his dick and tore it off before shoving it in his mouth. “There. You know, the venom doesn’t even hurt that bad. It’s a slight tingling sensation, quite pleasurable.” Then a wicked grin appeared on her face. “Want to fuck me? Have him watch?” Her eyes lit up at her suggestion.

Jeri looked at Bella in shock. “Who are you and what have you done to Bella?”

“Oh, you know, somewhere. I don’t care. It’s so much more fun to be fearless, isn’t it? To be one of you. To be able to take care of yourself. Take your revenge on the assholes who made your life a living hell,” She kicked against Edward to prove a point.

“Bella, you killed innocents today,” Kol said as he observed her.

She thought for a moment and shrugged. “I was hungry. Did you like the art, Nik?” Bella stepped over Edward and approached her lover. “Let Elijah deal with the mess, he always does that, doesn’t he?”

“Ummm…ummm…” Jeri muttered as she tried to process what she was hearing and seeing as she looked around. “It’s almost like she flipped her switch or something…” She muttered under her breath.

“That’s not possible because we didn’t tell her she could do that as a vampire,” Kol whispered in her ear.

“Well, obviously she did!” She hissed back. “Because she doesn’t give a shit now! She had to figure it out somehow!”

“I am so glad that I’m free,” she said as she tugged on Klaus’ bloody shirt and looked up at him through her lashes. “I killed so many of them tonight. It was extremely satisfying to kill Carlisle, and I thought I’d take my time with Eddie,” she thumbed over her shoulder. “Seeing as I couldn’t do that with Carlisle without getting smacked in the head a few times. I think he’s enjoying himself, just like I enjoyed it when they tortured me.”

“Bella, love, what did you do?” he asked softly as he looked her in the eyes. He was slightly torn about what he saw before him. His Bella was a sweet girl, afraid of her own shadow, and she hated violence, but this was the complete opposite, and it turned him on. Even her cursing sent sparks through his body. Yes, he wanted to fuck her. Who cares if it was next to the guy that abused her?

Bella sighed as she tugged on his belt, but he swatted her hands away. “I was freaking out, before and I said ‘no more’ and it was that easy to unlearn what you’ve taught me. To feel. To care. I thought it’d take days. Bonus points for not losing my voice!” She grinned as she turned back to Edward. “Ever wondered what it feels like to be burned alive? Well, sort of alive?” She cocked her head as she looked at him.

Jeri looked to Klaus and raised an eyebrow questioningly. “Da fuck?” She mouthed, wanting to know what she just heard.

“You don’t want to do that, love,” Klaus said soothingly and placed a hand on her shoulder. “Let us take care of him.”

“No!” she growled as she pushed Klaus’ hand off her shoulder and stepped over Edward’s body again, so she was on the other side. She squatted down on the ground and picked up a finger before putting it in one of the holes she created. “How does that feel, Eddie? Do you like it? Does it turn you on? Oh, that’s right, you don’t feel anything, do you?” Sighing, she fumbled the lighter out of her pocket and let it run over her fingers as you’d do with a coin. “I want to bet you’ll feel the flames, though.”

She flicked the lighter and placed it where Edward’s penis used to be before rising and taking a step back to admire the flames as they engulfed her former tormentor’s body. “Oh, that’s right, the appendages need to burn too!” She squealed in delight and started to toss the remains on the fire.

Klaus couldn’t help but smile proudly at her. She was sadistic now, and it was such an arousing sight to behold.

Kol hit his brother on the head. “Stop thinking with your dick. She apparently turned off her humanity!”

“And?”

“And! Nik, as much as I’m all for fun and games, this is Bella we’re talking about. Not some random teenage vampire from Mystic Falls giving our brother hell by pretending to be Katherine. You didn’t care for Elena, only for her blood, but Bella… we have to fix this. Imagine what she’d feel like if we don’t fix it, and she eventually turns herself back on and realizes the destruction, the killings, that she did. It’ll destroy her. What if she’ll revert to the Bella that was with them and we won’t be able to fix her again?”

He couldn’t help but sigh at the truth in his brother’s words. “I see your point.”

“And I’m here. Right in front of you!” Bella said, waving her hands. “I can hear everything you say, and you’re not going to fix me because I’m not broken.”

“Exactly,” Klaus decided to side with Bella, for now. Sure, she’d remember the mayhem she caused, but what if he was able to control the situation? What if, now that she dared to leave the compound, he could show her the world? Or at least some of his favourite places and then figure out a way to get her back? “What do you say, love? Would you like to see some of the places I told you about?” Klaus walked around the Edward-kindling and gently put his arms around her before kissing the top of her head.

She sighed happily as she put her arms around him in return. “That would be great. Will there be killing involved?”

“If you wish.”

“Then yes, take me wherever,” she smirked as she looked up at him. “Can we have sex on top of the Eiffel Tower?”

“Oh, Paris! Yes, definitely. I’ll take you to the Louvre and prove that they have one of my paintings there,” he said as he started to guide her away from Edward and towards the edge of the Bayou. They were heading back to the compound for now. “How about a nice nap first and then we’ll leave in the morning?”

“You are going to spell that study shut for the night,” Kol muttered to Jeri. “Don’t want her wandering around all night.”

“Oh, you betcha,” Jeri agreed as she muttered under her breath. This was going to be a fascinating time, and she wasn’t quite sure if she liked it.