An Original

•11•

What is one supposed to do after learning that their brother, who they have been on the run from for almost 100 years, had finally found them and planned on putting a dagger in their heart to make them sleep for maybe another 100 years? Well, hell if I knew either.

My biggest worry wasn't even for myself. I had been stabbed by my brother countless times. I was used to it by now. I knew Elijah and Rebekah would eventually wake me up. So no, that wasn't my biggest worry. My biggest worry was what would happen to Rosalie, and the other Cullens.

I didn't want any of them to get hurt. I had contemplated running away again, but Alice and Jasper both stopped me before I could even fully make a decision.

*********
"What are you doing?"

I had spun around to see both Alice and Jasper standing near the window in my room. Alice's eyes were narrowed on me, and Jasper had his arms crossed against his chest, a frown on his face.

"What do you mean?" I tried to sound as innocent as possible, but I knew that wouldn't work. Not on Alice or Jasper. They both knew me too well. Almost as well as my family and Carlisle.

"Don't play dumb with me, Isabella Mikaelson. I had a vision of you in South America. You were going to run away weren't you?" Alice's eyes narrowed even more until she was no doubt glaring at me. I knew there was no lying to either of them, and so I dropped my head silently in an attempt not answer the question.

"What about Carlisle? What about us? What about Rosalie? You were really just going to leave us? Leave her?" Jasper questioned, and I lifted my head slightly to see that his frown had deepened.

"If it kept you all safe," I said simply.

"And what if it didn't? What if it just made it worse? From how you and your siblings talk about your brother, he sounds like the type of guy who would get pissed off and try to kill us all just because you left," Alice said as she rolled her eyes, "Do you really think leaving us is the smartest idea?"

"We could help, Bella," Jasper said.

"At what cost? You don't know Klaus like I do. He'll kill each and every one of you just to spite me, to torture me. I can't let that happen. You have to understand," I could feel the tears filling my eyes now, my vision growing blurred, but I quickly blinked them away. I refused to cry. Not now. Not here.

"We won't let you leave, Bella," Alice said firmly, "Not without a fight. Rose won't let you go either. We'll follow you if we have to. You won't do this alone," and with that the two vampires left my room, jumping out of my window and running off towards their own home.
************

There words, however, weren't the deciding factor of me staying. It was when Rosalie visited me, late into the night on that very same night.

***********

"You are planning on leaving."

I had been strapping my bag to the backseat of my motorcycle when I heard it. The sound of her voice behind me. She had sounded broken, and it took everything in me not to break down and turn to wrap her in my arms to beg her for forgiveness.

I slowly turned to face her. The look on her face broke my heart even more. She looked at me with a blank expression, but I could see it. The pain hidden away in her eyes. The sorrow. It hurt me more than words could describe.

"I have to keep you safe," I said simply. Rosalie scoffed as she shook her head, the venom tears pooling in her eyes and yet refusing to fall.

"Screw that," she growled as she walked towards me, "Screw you," she snarled again and this time she shoved me. I went flying into a tree and I let out a grunt as I fell to the ground. I rose to my feet slowly and looked at her silently, dusting myself off. She walked towards me slowly once again, "All that shit you said before was just a lie, wasn't it?"

"I never lied to you, Rosalie," I said calmly, a small frown on my face.

"Yes, you did!" She shouted, "You said you'd do anything to fight for us!" She shoved me again, this time not hard enough to send me flying, but hard enough to make me stumble, "You said you'd even take on your brother for me!" She shoved me again, and I stumbled again. I refused to meet her eyes because seeing the anguish and the hurt hidden in them broke me, "You said you wanted me!" Another shoved, this one harder than the last and it sent me sliding across the dirt, "You said you wouldn't leave me! You said it, and I wish you never had because you didn't mean any of it!"

This time, I did look up, and I could see it clearly. How much pain my decision had been causing my mate, and it broke me. That look on her face, the look of utter despair. It broke everything inside of me. My heart, my soul. It all shattered at that look.

"Rose," I whispered softly. She looked at me silently before launching herself into my arms. I immediately wrapped my arms around her and held her tight against me. She let out a dry sob, and tightened her arms around me, burying her face into my neck.

"Don't go," she said, the crack in her voice evidence to how much pain she was in.

As soon as she said those two words, I knew what I had to do. I couldn't hurt her, not anymore. If I left, I'm not sure what would happen to her, and I couldn't lose her. Not after just finding her.

I let out a sigh as I ran my fingers through her long blonde hair silently. I kiss the side of her head, "I'm not going anywhere," I promised.

************
To say my siblings and Damon were surprised by my decision to stay in Forks would be an understatement.

"We're staying? Are you crazy, Izzy?" Damon asked after I told him my decision. He looked at me with wide eyes, "Klaus has a witch! He is coming here to stab you and put you to sleep for God knows how long! He'll kill us all!"

"I can't leave," I said simply as I looked at Damon. I glanced at Elijah and Rebekah who were standing near the fireplace. Elijah looked at me silent and Rebekah had her arms crossed against her chest, a frown evident on her face, "The Cullens, Rosalie, they're no match against Klaus and if he hurt them...I wouldn't be able to live with myself."

"But Klaus-," Damon began, and I lifted my hand to stop him before he could continue.

"I'm not asking you to stay and risk your life for me, Damon," I looked at Damon before looking at Elijah and Rebekah, "Or for you two to fight our brother for me, but...I can't lose them. I can't lose her. I refuse to. I'm finally happy and I won't lose it."

Elijah and Rebekah exchanged looks with one another silently before Elijah spoke up, "We won't leave you alone to face our brother again, Isa. We will stay and face him with you," Elijah said firmly.

"Klaus has been getting on my nerves for a while now," Rebekah shrugged, "I think it's time our brother got a taste of his own medicine."

I looked at Damon silently, and he let out a sigh. He ran a hand through his hair, "I'm not sure...I should probably get back to Stefan, Elena, and BonBon."

"I understand,"  I gave him a nod of my head. He walked towards me and wrapped his arms around me.

"Stay out of trouble, okay? Try and stay alive," Damon said as he hugged me tightly.

"I've lived this long. I doubt anyone's gonna take me out now," I said with a smirk as I looked at Damon, pulling away from him, "Maybe take my advice and chase after the witch instead of that doppelgänger."

"I'll think about it," Damon grinned before he stepped away from me. He looked at Elijah and Rebekah and gave them a nod of his head before he took off running out of the house.

I watched him go silently, a frown evident on my face. I had hoped he would make it back to Mystic Falls safely. I turned to look at Elijah and Rebekah.

"Well, seems like it's finally time to declare war against our brother."