The Mate She Forgot

Chapter Ten

CHAPTER TEN

"You don't have to come, I don't want you two to be uncomfortable." Bella said to Elijah and Klaus as they ran to the Cullen's house. It wasn't the first time she said it, despite the different wording.

"I told you Bell, where you go I go... and him." Klaus also repeated himself.

"And I." Elijah agreed, "Besides, who else would cause trouble?" he smiled at her.

"That's exactly what I'm afraid of." she couldn't help her laugh. They ran swiftly through the trees and Bella still glanced around her as if it was the first time she had ever seen trees. All the colors around, some she couldn't even name because she had never seen them before and doubted any other human had either, were sophisticated yet free flowing and it practically sang to her! Klaus, the artist they he was, was also entrapped in the view because a part of him whispered that he had to remember every small detail about the moment if he was to capture it later as one of the first moments of happiness after a long reign of depression.

Elijah, on the other hand, was watching Bella. He knew that Klaus had spent time with her before. Time that, even if she couldn't remember it, made Bella and Klaus closer than Elijah and her and that left a bitter taste in his mouth. A small part, insignificant enough not to be too big of a problem but big enough that Elijah, the worrisome original that he was, feared for his supposedly high morality, whispered that Klaus didn't deserve Bella. Also though, there was a part of him that said he too was not good enough but the majority of him was sure that Bella could come to love him and his flaws.

"Bella, you're back!" a sharp trill brought the three out of their gazing and they all turned their eyes to the bouncing Alice. As soon as she got Bell's attention she rushed to her and wrapped her sister in a tight embrace, "It's so great to have you back! Do you think that you could come see Jazz now? He's in a bit of a predicament and-" a soft cough from the man himself quieted Alice as the rest of the Cullen family made their appearance.

"It's nice to have you home, Bella." Jasper twanged as he stared fondly at his sister before looking at his would be blushing mate.

"Lovely to have you back." Esme smiled and Carlisle nodded in agreement with a warm smile gracing his face.

"Bella Boo!" Emmett rushed as if to get to Bella but was held back by his mate. "Let her breathe Em! Hi Bella." Bella thanked Rosalie with her eyes and finally looked at Edward who was smiling as bright as he had their wedding day. Thinking of her favorite day, Bella glanced down at her left hand's middle finger and had to fight the nerves and guilt from rushing through her and alerting Jasper. She pushed air out of her lungs and looked back up at the family, her family.

"It's great to see all of you." she was afraid that her smile might seem fake with how big it was, but the family didn't show any indications of suspicion, "I hear you may be needing help, Jazz. What can I do?" she knew, being the man that he was, that he would want to protest, but the relief in his eyes was so strong that she want about to let his pride get in the way of that. Her determination must have blazed in her emotions because Jasper nodded his head in thanks.

"Can we go to my room?" it was an innocent question, but not innocent enough for the Mikealson's who immediately growled at the suggestion that their mate go spend alone time with a man they hadn't yet spent enough time with to know the true intentions of.

"Yes," Bella said it firmly while staring pointedly at the Mikealson's, "I will go and try to help my brother."

Klaus' eyebrows twitched but he stayed still as Bella started walking away.

"Um, Bella," Alice called, "what do we do with them?" Bella almost laughed at how Alice just phrased it as if the brothers were pets of hers that needed to be contained without her supervision.