Chapter One

-17 Year Old Bella Swan-

“Henri. Henri, where are you,” Bella said as she looked around her small room in her current home in Phoenix

“Over here Belle,” Henrik said appearing on her bed, his back pressed against the headboard, his face lighting up in a bright smile as he saw his Belle expression in seeing him. Bella ran and sat beside Henrik immediately engulfing him in a hug.

“I thought you wouldn’t come,” Bella whispered, she had known Henrik since the time she was eleven and he was 12, from then on he began to age as she did. Somehow in the afterlife his soul had found hers, finally joining his other half after a centuries of being alone on the other side, and to both their surprises as he aged she did. It was his soul changing to fit to hers. He knew the second his eyes gazed at hers, that she was his other half, but he was stuck on the other side, and she was still living.

“I’ll always come to you my Belle,” Henrik said wrapping his arm around her small waist as he pulled her towards him.

“I’m leaving soon, tomorrow actually. I’ve decided to live with my father for a while, give my mom some space with her new husband,” Bella said resting her head on Henrik’s chest, “You’ll come with me right? I don’t wish to be alone.”

Henrik smiled, “Of course I’ll go with you Belle. Wherever you go I’ll happily follow.” Henrik knew Bella was special, she was different, something far from human, he could feel it in her whenever he was near. He was with her always, she saw him in more than just her dreams, he was a silent ghost that followed her, talking to her when she was alone, and she would talk back to him, giving him her thoughts on different things. He was her silent best friend, the one person she could always depend on. He could feel her, and she him, but to others he was never there, he wasn’t real, but to her he was as real as day and night.

“Henri, do you think there is a way for you to cross over from the other side?” Bella asked, she had always secretly loved Henrik, but she never knew he felt the same way. “To be alive again?”

Henrik smiled and brushed a stray hair out of Bella’s face, “I’m working on it Belle, I’ll soon pick something up amongst the whispers of the spirits and I’ll come back to life. I’ll be real to you. I promise.”

Bella sighed, “It’s going to be hell to have to move Henri I wish you could come with me join me in school, so I could have one sane person to talk to.”

“Me too Belle,” Henrik said with a smile as he saw Bella lean in closer to him. He was determined to do everything he could to be with her. Bella’s head rested on his chest, and Henrik rubbed her arm softly, as she began to go to sleep. Henrik looked down at Bella’s peaceful face as she slept. His mind went back to the day they had first met.

Flashback:

Bella sat down on the floor of her room, hot tears streaming down her cheeks. Renee had forgotten her birthday again, and instead of spending time with her daughter she had gone out with her friends for a girl’s night.

“Are you alright?” Henrik asked not knowing why he had decided to ask such a silly question, he was a ghost, she couldn’t hear him, but he assumed it was out of habit, he didn’t truly believe she could hear him, no one had been able to hear him since the day he died.

Bella looked up in alarm and bounced back not knowing who the boy in front of her was, “Who are you?” she stuttered looking up at Henrik, her brown eyes still swelled with tears.

“You can see me?” Henrik asked stepping back in shock, “You shouldn’t be able to see me.”

“Are you a ghost?” Bella asked wiping away the tears as her puffy eyes looked at the strange boy in front of her. She knew she should be scared that she was seeing a ghost in her room, but she couldn’t fear him, her mind wouldn’t let her.

“I am… I’m Henrik Mikaelson,” Henrik said holding out his hand to her forgetting for a moment that he was a ghost and couldn’t touch anything.

“Isabella Swan, but I go by Bella,” Bella said she took his hand and was surprised to know that it didn’t just go through him, he was real to her. They both looked down at their hands that were still together. This was the first time in centuries that he had talked to someone, and be able to touch someone.

Henrik released her hand and sat down where she once was on the floor. This was how Bella had spent her birthday, talking to Henrik, completely forgetting about her mother.

End Flashback.

Henrik had his arm around Bella, what he wouldn’t give to be with her. To be able to truly be a part of her world. To be able to be there for her when she needed him most. Running through his mind had always been the thought that one day his soul mate would end up with someone else. She would eventually find someone, and grow old with them, something he yearned to do with her. What Henrik wanted the most was to be with the other half of his soul. To be able to spend eternity with her. Never before had he blamed his older brother Niklaus for his death, he understood there was nothing Niklaus could to save him, but being with Bella, it had changed it all. He hated that he had died, that the rest of his siblings had gotten a chance to live on, to have a chance to find those who were the counter part of their souls. While he, he was stuck on the other side, watching as his soul mate lived on without him. Since having met Bella, his life as a spirit had been both amazing and torturous.

Henrik feared the most that he would have to see Bella die, and not be able to do anything about it.

Flashback

Bella now being the age of 16 walked into her room. Closing the door shut, and locking it to make sure her mother didn’t decide to interrupt the time she got to spend with Henrik.

“Henri?” Bella said walking into the room looking around. It had been a rule of hers that he not come with her during school. Bella was easily distracted by being with Henrik, he was the only person who could make her smile and laugh with just a look.

“I’m here Belle,” Henrik said appearing on the bed. His back pressed against the headboard as his legs lay casually on the bed it was his usual position when Bella arrived from school.

“Henri, how come you’re a ghost, but you’re aging? Doesn’t that go against all ghost laws?” Bella said walking to the bed and lying diagonally so her head rested comfortably on Henrik’s lap.

Henrik didn’t know the exact answer, but he knew it had something to do with Bella. Seeing as she was his soul mate, his better half, he seemed to age as she aged. Henrik unknowingly began to run his hands through Bella’s hair. “I don’t know exactly, but I suspect it’s because of you. As you age, I seem to do the same.”

“But, physically, you’re 17, and I’m 16, so how are you aging with me?” Bella asked feeling slightly curious to what the answer may be.

“Maybe fate just decided I was always supposed to be older than you,” Henrik offered as an answer.

Bella smiled, in regard to relationships, she had always believed that it was always more attractive to date someone who was not that much older than you. She was always more mature than other children, she didn’t need to be with someone who wasn’t as mature as she was, someone who wasn’t in the same place she was. “I guess it makes since Henri, Do you want to watch a movie?”

“What about your school work, it wouldn’t be a wise idea for you to fall behind Belle,” Henrik said smiling down at Bella who had become utterly relaxed as he brushed his fingers through her hair.

“It’s a Friday Henri, I don’t have homework, or well I did, but I finished it at school. I’m free to just hang out for the weekend, considering Renee is probably going to go out or something.” Bella said with a smile.

“Choose whatever movie you wish to watch Belle,” Henrik said with a smile. He saw Bella’s eyes light up as she began to tell him about a recent movie she had just rented and wanted to watch.

End Flashback.

Henrik sighed, he didn’t know if he would ever know why he could touch Bella, why she could see and touch him, but he was happy for whatever caused it. He just hoped that one day he could truly be with Bella, to be able to do things normal couples did. To be able to make her his, to be able to tell others that she was his soul mate that they were together until death. Henrik knew deep down inside that if he were ever to be real again to crossover from the other side, his relationship with Bella would take a complete turn. The only thing holding them back was him being a ghost.

-Page Break-

Bella packed the rest of her things, sighing as she put away her things and her copy of Wuthering Heights, it was the copy that Henrik had read over and over again to her. It was through Henrik that she truly learned to enjoy the classic novel. She looked back at the room, which was now practically empty to her.

“You’re going to be fine Belle, I’ll be beside you the entire time,” Henrik said surprising Bella and causing her to jump slightly at the sound of his voice.

“I know, I was just thinking how empty this room seemed to be now,” Bella said zipping up her bag and turning around to face Henrik. Several times she wanted to tell him she love him, truly deeply loved him, but she feared that he would reject her, it hadn’t even come to mind that he was technically a ghost, all that mattered to Bella was that she loved him, and hopefully he replicated the same feelings.

“You never were the type of girl to spend a lot of money,” Henrik said, Bella was always the type of girl to save her money for the day she would need it.

Bella smiled, “I don’t need anything. Are you coming with me on the plane?”

“I might appear later, but I have some eavesdropping to do on the other side,” Henrik said with a smirk, making Bella’s inside flutter as they always did when he looked at her with a certain gleam in his eyes.

“Just be careful, it would suck not to be able to see you anymore,” Bella said giving Henrik a small smile, but her eyes pleaded with him to come back unharmed and to not get stuck on the other side. Henrik stepped closer to her, their chests barely touching as he stood in front of her. He moved a stray strand of hair out of her face and tucked it behind her ear. Henrik smiled internally as he felt her shiver against his touch. He kissed her forehead and then met her eyes.

“I would never be more than a call away Belle, remember that you’re what keeps me grounded. No matter whatever happens, I’ll always appear at your side when you say my name,” Henrik said, he kept his hand cupping her cheek, his eyes searching in hers, he saw the love she held for him and that woke something within him. He would stop at nothing to figure out a way to crossover to be with her. “Be safe.” Henrik gave Bella one last smile before he disappeared before her eyes.

Bella smiled and looked down to the ground, her cheeks becoming red. She shook her head trying to get her head back into what she was doing before Henrik had appeared. Today she was leaving behind her small home in Phoenix to go to Forks. She was going to be seeing her father for the first time after several years.

-Page Break-

Bella grabbed her bags, and began to head to where she was planning on meeting her father. Dragging her luggage behind her Bella spotted her father. His hands were fiddling in his lap, he was looking down at them, little droplets of sweat forming on his forehead. His nerves were beginning to get to him. Bella tilted her head, her feet stopped moving as she looked at her father. Was he nervous? Scared?

Bella thought back to the time she did spend with her father, he was a great man and only ever wanted the best for her. Maybe he felt he wasn’t doing enough for her? Bella made up her mind, it was about time she showed her dad she loved him that she appreciated what he has been doing for her through the years. “Dad!” Bella yelled waving her hand in the air to make sure he would see her. Charlie stood up, a smile crossing his face, his eyes lighting up as he saw his little girl appear before him. He walked over to her quickly and engulfed her in a tight hug.

“It’s good to see you again Bells,” Charlie said with grin. Bella hugged him back it wasn’t until this moment she had realized how much she had truly missed her father.

“You too dad, we should probably get out of here, we’re blocking the way for people to get out,” Bella said with a small laugh. Charlie grabbed the luggage and walked out of the crowded airport with Bella beside him as she caught him up on her life in Phoenix.

-Page Break-

Bella lay on her bed, her pajamas were on, and all the lights were off in the house. Charlie was already sleeping, the deep sound of his snoring echoed throughout the house, but that wasn’t what was keeping Bella awake. Henrik hadn’t made appearance since Phoenix, and she was beginning to get worried. Henrik was always there when she fell asleep, and it was strange to have to go to sleep without him near.

Bella looked up at the ceiling, quietly counting the plastic glow in the dark stars her father had put up years ago.

“You know, they say if you want to go to sleep you have to count sheep not stars,” Henrik’s voice said as he appeared on the side of the bed smiling down at Bella.

Bella smiled and whispered, “I only had stars to work with, there’s little sheep in Forks. Join me?”

Henrik smiled and nodded, he slipped in under the covers and laid his head down on the pillow. Bella moved to curl up next to him, her head on his chest, as they continued to look up at the stars. “I haven’t found anything, but I’m sure there’s a way.”

Bella sighed, “There’s always a way to everything Henri.”

Henrik smiled and began to stroke Bella’s hair, but there was something else that he discovered. Something that explained what he had been feeling from Bella. The heritage she came from was special, and finally after centuries of a species dying out, Bella was born when the last of two lines of a species connected and became one. Bella was a mermaid. Henrik’s mind was in the middle of a war, should he tell her what she was or should he keep it from her until he could learn more. For him, his main priorities wasn’t becoming real again, it was making sure Bella would always be okay, and he had no idea what being a mermaid could entail for her in the future.

Henrik had finally decided as he heard Bella’s soft breathing even out signaling she was well asleep. He wouldn’t tell her, not until he had as much information as he could get. Information he could use to help her. He had also decided that when he told her about her heritage he would also tell her about being soul mates. Hopefully she would understand his reasoning on keeping this from her.

Author’s Note

A while ago, on one of my other stories someone mentioned if I was going to do a story with a pairing of each of the Mikaelson brothers, and I thought that was a great idea, so I started writing a Finn/Bella pairing, but I didn’t like the feel of the story so I let it go. Then the other day I was re-watching the series, and it came to mind that there weren’t four Mikaelson brothers, but five. And then this idea came to be, and I fell in love with this story, actually, I fell in love with this pairing. Tell me what you think and I hope you all enjoy!