Hi everyone! This is my own version of what would have happened if Stefan's blood control went down a different path when he first tasted Elena's after she rescued him from Pearls place. Set after S01E17 of Vampire Diaries. I DO NOT OWN THE VAMPIRE DIARIES.
Chapter 1.
Winter had come early this year as the wind whipped my hair harshly across my face. My feet moved in a quick jog as I moved up the steps towards my front door, eager to get inside and away from the cold air. Stefan hadn't shown up at any of our classes today and my mind had enjoyed spinning wild theories and paranoid thoughts about his recent actions.
What I did, rushing into the woods to save Stefan, I would have done again in a heartbeat. I replayed the entire scene over in my mind until I remembered his venomous eyes turned on me. I let my head rest on the inside of my front door as I visibly winced at the unwanted memory.
Stefan was simply protecting me. There was no question to it. He had simply been caught up in the attack to the other vampire and thought I was an approaching threat. I couldn't control my following train of thought that made me question him. Stefan was always in control and would always be able to sense it was me.
I forced my eyes open and pushed myself away from the doors surface.
I knew Stefan. He would never harm me. I headed up the stairs and swung my bedroom door open. The sight caused unwanted fear to rise to the surface as I saw Stefan sitting casually on my window sill. I silently prayed he didn't notice my slight hesitation as I continued into the room.
There's nothing to be afraid of. It's Stefan for Christ sake!
"Hey. Where were you today?"
He fiddled idly with the green cushion next to his leg. "I was just ...uh..."
My mind sent me back to his sudden change after I healed him from my blood. His enraged yet blood lusted expression raced back into my head before I could stop it, reminding me of how he turned on me. I had never thought that the blood would do that to him. Damon drank human blood and he'd never been... like that.
I pushed my thoughts aside and focused on Stefan. "I've been worried about you. You wouldn't believe how much I..." I went to tell him about my fear of why he wasn't in school today, but thought it would simply torment him further. "I just... I missed you today. What about you? How are you doing?"
I walked over to him and rested his cheek in my palm wanting to feel physically reassured that he was still with me.
He closed his eyes and let loose a small smile, "Much better. I'm still...you know, a little uh... a little jittery, a little bit on edge, but uh..." It was clearly hard for him to voice his weaknesses and struggles. His eyes finally returned to mine and smiled a reassuring smile, "I'm going to be okay."
"I've been really worried about you."
"I just needed to lay low for a little while. Let my body readjust." He stood up and wrapped his arms around me, his eyes turning playfully mocking. "It's only been a few days."
I smiled and wrapped my arms around his neck, pushing myself up onto my tippy-toes. "Feels like a life time."
I planted a soft kiss on his lips and pulled back.
His eyes bore into mine as his hand came behind and wove itself into the back of my hair. His lips pressed softly to mine again and I revelled in the sweetness of his touch, the feel of his lips and the way mine moulded to them.
Before I felt my feet give way, Stefan lifted me up and lay us down onto my bed. His lips became feverish and hot as I pressed myself closer to him. I heard a small groan escape him and felt him press me down further, holding his weight only slightly.
I was completely lost in the moment until my hands were slammed above me in a crushing force and Stefan's lips trailed down towards my neck. My enjoyment was quickly lost as Stefan's breathing came in short huffs and his fingers tightened around my wrists, shooting tremors of pain up my arm.
"...Stefan? Ow!"
His hand held but his breathing quickened as his kisses turned into something far more than hunger at my throat. My panic started to rise as I felt trapped beneath him, and a soft sound penetrated my ears.
Stefan pulled his face back to mine and what I saw caused me to let out a blood curdling scream. His fangs were out and his eyes were a blood red, staring down at me intently like predator to prey.
In hearing the first instant of my scream, Stefan shot himself backwards with blinding speeds, crashing into my lamp and shelving. Items clattered around him as he slowly began to morph back into his regular features.
Before I had time to act he raced out the window with the speeds of a bullet. I saw my fingers shaking violently as I held them close to my chest, my heart rate close to cardiac arrest.
I had just faced my nightmare. One that had only surfaced the first time I met him.
What had happened to Stefan?
...
Damon POV
My knuckles rapped on the door as I stood on Elena's porch. When she'd called me and asked to come over her voice shook slightly and I was outside her front door before she'd finished speaking. She didn't specify what she wanted, but the tone of her voice told me enough. My first instincts jumped to trouble yet as I reached her property my senses told me there was no immediate threat. Something had her rattled and I was calm and collected as she swung open the door.
As she stepped aside to let me in I kept my composure in check as I scanned her from head to toe. There was slight bruising on her wrists and she had the complexion of a corpse. In the kitchen at the end of the hall I could see Jeremy chewing on his cereal as he scanned a book in front of him. If something had happened in this house, I wouldn't doubt that the child would have been oblivious to what had gone on. Elena pressed her finger to her lips and then jutted her thumb over her shoulder towards the stairs.
"No Elena I will not go to your bedroom with you."
My obviously loud voice carried to Jeremy as he rolled his eyes. Elena's eyes fumed as she grabbed my arm and pulled me up the stairs behind her. I took each chance I got to stir things up.
I strolled ahead of her as she opened her bedroom door and slummed onto her bed. Resting my back against her headboard I picked up her stuffed teddy and set it on my lap. I'd never seen her cuddling the toy as she slept yet the way it was always positioned by her pillows told me it was sentimental to her past.
I scanned her room and let a smile spread across my lips, "Ah just how I remember."
"Stop messing around."
"Hey, did you know that your uncle has been kicking it with the Founders council?" I'd heard from Liz that Jonathan Gilbert wanted in with the secret plans to protect the town from Vampires, but I knew that his motives were his own.
"Really?"
"Yep."
"Perfect, we'll just add it to the growing list of how every things falling apart." I could sense her frustration and tiredness as she spoke, however there was also something else on her mind that had her stressed.
As she was speaking my eyes zeroed in on the demolition in the corner; the tipped over lamp and broken shelves irked my suspicion. I pointed with the soft toys paw towards the damage, "What happened right there?"
She turned her head towards it and I watched closely as she slightly tensed. "Uh... nothing."
She turned back towards me with shuttered eyes as I looked at her with a dubious look.
She sighed and pushed herself away from the ledge of her desk, walking towards me. "Look Damon, I... I'm worried about Stefan. He says that every things okay but he's clearly struggling. How long is it going to take before he's back to normal?"
I kept my casual composure, "A few days give or take."
My mind took me back to a few days ago where I'd found Stefan crouched in the corner surrounded by empty blood bags and draining another one. After all my pressuring and wishing of him to finally give in to his nature, who he's meant to be, I couldn't help but feel as though this was not a good thing. The scattered drained bags around the room were enough said that Stefan would not be in control of his true nature after this long of avoiding it.
Elena looked at me with worried eyes, "It's been a few days."
"Give then. I don't know. What's the big deal."
I got up off her bed and dropped the soft toy into her hands, "He's not himself, Damon."
I passed her and headed over to her chest of draws, shuffling through them. "Well maybe his problem is because he's spent too long not being himself." I pulled out a lacy white bra and began picturing what she'd look like with that on.
She sighed in frustration and snatched it out of my hands, shut it back in the draw and spoke over her shoulder to me. "Please don't make me sorry for asking you."
"It is what it is, Elena." I reached over her shoulder and grabbed the photo of her in her cheerleading outfit that was stuck to the side of her mirror. I moved out of her reach before she could snatch it back, "The Stefan you know, this good behaviour Stefan. Reign it in Stefan. Fight against his nature to an annoyingly obsessive level... Stefan. But if you think that there's not another part to this, then you," She walked up close to me and I spoke in close to her, "Then you have not been paying attention."
She stepped close to me and snatched the picture out of my hand and took a step back, "He's not you. Not even close."
I chuckled under my breath. She was right about that, but not in the way she believed. "Well he's a wannabe me." I walked towards her keeping my eyes on hers, "That doesn't mean that he's not."
She held my eyes but a flash of fear flew across her features as she considered this. Although even though she knew I was right, that wasn't what triggered her response. What ever happened in this room caused her doubt and concern for Stefan's current actions.
...
Damon POV
Stefan Walked beside me up the stairs of the Lockwood Mansion dressed in a black tux slightly similar style to my own. He had been restless this afternoon since I'd come back from Elena's and he'd thrown back at least a third of the bourbon in the goblet. The cravings had begun.
As we waltzed into the reception of the house we both scanned the growing crowd of townsfolk. The alcohol had calmed his senses and he seemed to be in reasonable shape. He sighed and let his eyes scan the ceiling. "Oh God. I shouldn't be hear."
I let my eyes travel the length of Carol Lockwood's navy blue gown and moved onto another woman's physique as she passed me, "Come on, don't be a downer. It's a party for the founding families. That would be us." I gestured with my hand back and forth between the two of us. "Don't be rude, Stefan."
He looked at me watching and smiling to the passers by. "I really liked you a whole lot better when you hated everybody."
I kept my pleasant smile in place as I waved at Mayor Lockwood across the room, "Oh I still do. I just love that they love me." I smiled towards Stefan then took in his antsy stature. "How you feeling by the way?"
"I'm good. I'm fine." He spoke quickly, brushing me off.
"No cravings? No urges? So all that drinking was just the usual Stefan job?" I smirked at him but silently I was prompting him to see if he really had cracked.
He laughed and looked at me with a hard smile.
I shrugged. "We are who we are, Stefan. Can't change that."
He smiled to the woman who passed him but spoke to me, "Oh nothing would make you happier right now than to see me give in, huh Damon?"
"Whatever its inevitable."
"I'm going to find Elena." He headed off into the crowd.
"Don't embarrass me young man." I pointed towards him in a fatherly demeanor as he turned back to me.
He shook his head and headed off into the crowd.
...
Elena POV
I walked past the large bouquet standing on the marble bench and headed into the slightly growing crowd of people in the living room. I spotted Stefan over near the drink stand and watched him as he put down an empty tumbler and turn towards me.
A sly smile spread across his lips and he waved me over. I couldn't help my uneasiness inside me swirl faster as I plastered on a smile and headed to him. How could he be so casual after the incident today?
He wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me towards him, "Hey beautiful. How are you?"
He kissed my cheek and a large waft of alcohol assaulted my nose. I smiled a secret smile and looked at him indifferently. "Are you drunk?"
"Um... Okay, I know it's a little weird but I uh... the alcohol is helping me. It uh... takes the edge off." He seemed to radiate with a confidence that surprised me completely. I had never seen him like this. He was always brooding and serious or completely focused.
I grinned and narrowed my eyes at him. "You're totally that drunk high school guy at the party sneaking booze."
He closed his eyes and nodded. "I totally am, yeah."
"How worried do I need to be?"
"Oh no, you don't need to be worried. It's just until the cravings... go away."
I nodded but could tell that my doubt was evident on my face.
"Listen," He placed his hands on my shoulders, "I think we should enjoy it, while it lasts." He let go of my shoulders and held his hand out towards me. "Would you like to dance with me?"
His words sent my head in a spin. "You hate to dance. I usually have to beg you."
"No no. You have to beg the sober me. The drunk me there's no begging."
I eyed him suspiciously and turned to the crowd around us. "There's no one danceing." And the music was light jazz; not enough to start a moving crowd, yet enough to start intellectual chatter.
"That's because we need something better to dance to." He brushed a strand of hair behind my ear and headed over towards the band playing in the corner.
"Yeah, thats not going to work." I turned to the side and saw Aunt Jenna standing next to me. "I already tried to bribe him with twenty bucks and a date and he said that Carol Forbes is in complete and utter control of the music choice."
I turned back to where Stefan was talking to the lead band member and watched the mans face turn blank as Stefan visibly used compulsion on him.
"You'd be surprised what Stefan can do when he puts his mind to it." I didn't think Jenna would catch on to the hidden meaning in my words. I was really starting to grow suspicious of this new Stefan. He would never, ever use compulsion unless the situation was absolutely necessary.
The song turned into a popular upbeat tune and he turned towards me with his hand stretched out, waiting for him to join me.
I didn't know what to think. This was an unpredictable Stefan and there was a raging war in my gut on just how I was going to take all of this.
...
Damon POV
I walked into the lounge room and saw the crowd dancing and Stefan joining in. I stepped up to Elena's side and watched perplexed as the crowd moved about.
"Have I entered an alternate universe where Stefan is fun?"
I looked at Elena who locked her eyes with mine in silent concern. I shrugged and turned back to see Stefan spin Jenna into him and started dancing with her.
"Is he going to be okay?"
"Eventually. One way or another."
Stefan made his presence known and held his hand out to Elena. "Please dance with your alcoholic vampire boyfriend."
Elena's smiled as she grabbed his hand. Stefan spun her into him and she landed against his chest with a slight look of surprise on her face. I hadn't seen this Stefan in over one hundred and thirty years and by the look on Elena's face, she had never before witnessed this.
I watched them as she spun and twirled to the music as I stood on the side lines. All her inner turmoil seemed to evaporate the longer she danced with him, her feelings of unease disappearing each beat of the music. I hadn't seen her this carefree in a while and I had to stop myself on more than one occasion from being pulled towards her.
Stefan spun her away from him and she bumped into a man who was dancing near her. "Oh, sorry."
"Watch it." His tone was hard and I couldn't help the smirk that pulled at my lips at his obvious annoyance.
"My fault. I'm a bit of a clumsy dancer." Elena was unfazed by his tone.
He laughed then his face set into a hard line, and pointed towards the side wall. "Then get off the dance floor."
"Excuse me?"
I took a step forward about to make him realise how wrong it was for him to speak to her that way when Stefan stepped in front of him. "That's no way to talk to a lady."
The man made a dismissive sound and turned away, "Whatever."
I was about to follow the man out when Stefan's hand snatched out and held the man back, his pupils dilating. "I think you need to apologise."
I was curious as to what Stefan was doing and my feet remained glued to the floor. The man turned to Elena, fixed by Stefan's compulsion. "I'm sorry."
He let the man's arm go and watched him turn his back to walk away, then his arm snaked out again and wrenched him back towards them hard. "Now say it like you mean it."
The man's eyes fixed on Elena's frozen form. "I'm really, really sorry."
"Now walk away." Stefan shoved him a little too hard and sent him propelling off into a group of dancers who jolted about and turned to Stefan's slightly angered form.
My eyes narrowed in as Stefan touched Elena's cheek, "You okay?"
She simply nodded but I could sense her fear from here. This had been what she was worried about.
...
Elena POV
"Good to see you weren't verbally assaulted by the bad man in the dancing crowd." I turned to see Damon waltz towards me with smirk on his lips. I leaned back against the railing outside and breathed in a wave of chilled night air.
"What's happening to him Damon?"
"I already told you, and before you say anything, I stand by the whole give or take a few days. He'll be back to the old Stefan everyone loves and cherishes before no time."
I rolled my eyes towards him and let my head drop. I knew he was only repeating his words in an effort to reassure me but I could tell that he was just as suspicious as I was about the whole thing.
He nudged his shoulder to mine, "Come on, that Stefan in there was a whole lot better than the one you're used to. Admit it."
"With good comes bad. This good... I don't know what the catch is this time. But I'll have to accept it either way."
"Yes, however," He plucked a rose from the garden next to him and began twirling it between his finger tips. "Stefan has held back his natural urges for quite some time now. The last time I saw him like this, things didn't end up very pretty. If anything, I believe that he will get over this stature and mend his ways."
"Damon, you saw him in there. Don't tell me that he hasn't changed for the better."
"Let me finish. In light of that, he will need some time to do it by himself. Do not try to force him."
Damon had finally got what he wanted. The Stefan who had become the normal vampire. How could I expect him to want to help Stefan out of this? He was doing this for his own benefit, whether I fit into the equation or not. I let out a homerless laugh and pushed myself off the railing.
"Do you need a ride home?"
"Stefan's driving me." I gave him a nod in thanks and headed towards the edge of the porch.
"Elena."
I turned and found Damon in front of me. He presented me with the rose and waited until I took it from him. His voice was a whisper as he spoke. "Don't say I didn't warn you."
I was frozen for a moment locked in his piercing blue eyes. Involuntarily, my own darted to his lips as I realised how close we were standing. It was only a split second but it felt as though time had suddenly come to a halt. His breath fanned lightly across my lips as he chuckled and I stepped away from his sly smile as I turned my back, feeling his eyes on me the entire walk to the car.
...
As I headed over to the car I heard a soft gurgling sound and small pleading voice, "No please... please no."
I quickened my pace and went closer to the sound coming from around the back of the car. There hunched over the man on the dance floor was Stefan, his lips at the man's jugular drawing deeply. I froze stiff.
"...Stefan?"
A loud crack came from where they were and the man's head hung at an awkward angle before Stefan turned his crimson eyes and fangs towards me. My breathing came in ragged gulps as my heart speed about in my chest.
Stefan was on me in an instant, his hand clasped roughly over my mouth. "Shh, shh, shh... It's okay, it's okay."
My eyes were bugging out of my head in terror. This was not Stefan... and I was petrified for my safety.
"Don't scream." He lowered his hand from my mouth.
"What have you done?" I backed away from him towards the house, and spun and ran. Before I'd gotten two steps from him I was pinned down beneath a pile of bricks. The air went from my lungs and I was rolled over to face the now normal featured Stefan.
His hand pushed my hair out from my eyes and trailed down the side of my neck, his eyes panicked at my fear. I felt a slick wetness across my cheeks and neck and watched in terror as Stefan noticed it too.
His eyes left mine and followed the trail of wetness down from my cheeks to my neck, his breathing coming in in short. His features morphed into his vampire state and his fangs pushed down from his gums, exposing his predator inside.
Just as I let out a large scream his fangs sunk down painfully into the side of my neck.
...
Damon POV
As I headed back along the porch I saw Jonathan Gilbert heading out the front door. I jogged up beside him and step into pace with him. "John."
He turned towards me, "Damon. We didn't get a chance to meet before at the Council meeting."
"Yeah it's a pleasure. You enjoying the uh... kickoff?" Ever since he strode back into town I'd sensed something off about him. His timing and motives for the re-group with the council sent my senses on alert.
"Oh yeah. I forgot how fun these small town celebrations can be." His lips pulled into a smile but his eyes were hard; as were mine.
"When was the last time you were in town?"
"Oh it hasn't been that long. My brother's funeral. How long have you been in town?"
We had come to a halt just off the main path. "Oh not long at all."
We stood in silence for a moment sizing each other up.
"So what do you think, Damon? You know this vampire problem is real right? It's a potential blood bath."
I looked at him seriously, "Oh I wouldn't overreact, John."
"Oh I think it's like 1864 all over again. Vampires running a muck. Guess we're just going to have to hunt them down, throw 'em in a church, and burn them to ash."
I looked out towards the dispersing townsfolk, a hard smile on my lips, "That is the story."
"Part of the story." I could feel his eyes gauging my reaction.
I turned to his feigning ignorance, "Oh, there's more is there?"
"Oh there's a lot more. You see it seems as though there was a tomb under the church. The vampires were hidden away. Waiting for someone to come along and set them free."
My eyebrows shot up in surprise. Just how did he know all this? My curiosity was irked.
"But then, you already knew that, didn't you? Meaning you're the one that did it."
I turned my eyes to his and saw his knowing look. "And you're telling me this why?"
A smile I wanted to smack off his face came to his lips, "Oh I just wanted to get the introductions out of the way."
"Oh well then, you would know that I could rip your throat out before anyone could notice."
"Yeah."
"Okay. But you probably already knew that and have vervain in your blood."
"Why don't you take a bite," our conversation was as casual as two men discussing the upcoming weather. "find out?"
I let out a small chuckle. "It's not worth my time." I walked away from him irritated beyond doubt. That arrogant son of a bitch. He knew what I was. He knew too much. With no further persuasion I spun around to see him smiling knowingly at me. I flashed in front of him and heard the satisfying sound of his neck breaking and watched him drop to the ground like a rock.
"Damon, what did you do?"
I turned to see Alaric Saltzman striding towards me, fury and worry etched into his history teacher features. He bent down to Jonathan's body and checked his neck.
I let out a sigh of impatience, "Relax Ric, the man was an informant leak. He knew who I was."
"So it's completely normal to simply kill him."
I shook my head in confusion, "What else could I do. Besides, he was a dick. If you ask me I did the world a favour."
Alaric stood up and brushed his hand over his face. Before he could say or do anything Jonathan's form stirred at our feet. I looked at his hand and saw the same dark stone ring that Alaric wore. "You have got to be kidding me."
"What?"
"Look at his hand. Look familiar?"
"Well, it looks like mine." I could see Alaric come up to speed.
"Yeah that would be a coincidence as I just killed him no more than 2minutes ago. Where the hell did you get that ring?"
"Isobel."
Jonathan picked himself up from the grass and brushed his suit off. "Howdy Ric."
I looked at Jonathan with a hard and frustrated smile, "Going somewhere?"
"You going to kill me again, or you just going to let the history teacher do your dirty work for you?"
Alaric spoke in, "Okay so you obviously know who I am."
"Ah, Alaric Saltzman; the high school history teacher with a secret."
I caught his attention once again. "You sure know a lot for someone who just go to town."
He brushed past me and lent in close to my ear as he passed, "More than you can imagine, Damon." He got a few paces before he turned around, leaving a safe distance between us. "My knowledge goes beyond you or you or the council knows. So if you were planning on some clever high speed snatch ring heist vamp kill move, know that if I die all my knowledge goes to the council, Including a fascinating little story about the original Salvatore brothers, and their present day return to Mystic Falls."
Alaric took a step closer to Jonathan, "How did you get that ring?"
"I inherited one, my brother had the other. This," He held up his hand with the glimmering ring on it, "was his. Although I wouldn't have given mine to Isobel if I knew she was just going to hand it to another guy."
"So you did know her." I matched Alaric's step.
"Who do you think sent her your way when she wanted become a vampire."
"You sent her?"
"Guilty. Why do you think someone else sent her? Maybe Katherine Pierce?"
I felt my composure slightly lapse, "How do you know about Katherine?"
"How do I know anything Damon?"
I closed the distance between Jonathan and I, struggling to keep my hands from ripping his head off and burning it, to stop it from ever reconnecting. "What do you want?"
He smiled and shook his head in a patronising manner, "So many questions..." He turned his attention towards Alaric, "It was a pleasure meeting you Ric, I've heard so much about you." With a last smug look towards me he turned his back on the both of us as walked away.
Ric and I shared a silent conversation and with a quick nod, Ric was off and following after Jonathan. I wanted to know exactly what this bastard knew and where he knew it from.
I started heading towards my car when I heard Elena scream from a small distance away.
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