Plenty Far To Fall

by LowlifeTheory

The delena & klefan zombie apocalypse I took upon myself to write. Klefan are married, delena are getting together and Klaus and Damon find out they unwittingly helped to create a zombie virus in the 1930s, and now its coming back to literally bite them on the ass.

'Care to tell me what you're doing here Klaus,' Stefan asked. It was dark, but even in the moonlight Stefan could see blue eyes shining bright.

Klaus moved slowly, he was feeling confident Stefan could tell, but he was poised, ready to strike. The wolf bristled under his skin, ready for his first shift in a millennium.

'I'm simply here to get what's mine,' Klaus said over his shoulder. He glanced up to the shining moon and then back to Stefan. Stefan moved slow, careful to keep Klaus in his line of sight.

'I didn't think you'd ever come back,' Stefan said. Klaus' eyes trailed over Stefan, and he smiled.

'I told you I would,' Klaus finally stopped moving. They stood face to face, down below them Stefan could still hear the witch chanting. A breeze ruffled across them.

'I thought you hated Mystic Falls?' Stefan licked his lips. Klaus tracked the slow movements of his tongue and smirked.

'There's something I want here,' Klaus said.

'It doesn't have to be this way, there is another way,' Stefan took a step closer. A bold move when Klaus was so agitated but Stefan knew him well enough to know Klaus wouldn't lash out. He had never been afraid of Klaus; he never would be.

'How would you know that?' Klaus smirked.

'Oh come on, you know I put more research into this than you did. Who did all your groundwork?' Stefan's lips curled up.

'You're in love with the doppelgänger,' Klaus said.

'I am,' Stefan nodded. 'What do you want?'

'I want the curse broken, you shouldn't need to ask that,' Klaus said.

'Is that all?' Stefan licked his lips.

'Maybe I want my husband back,' Klaus tilted his head to the side.

'If you do this your way then you might never get him back,' Stefan said. His voice was so quiet he barely heard himself speak.

'Your way was never guaranteed,' Klaus looked down into the clearing. The witch was looking up at them.

'Use another vampire, and don't kill Elena. You never had to drain her completely, and remember back in the seventies that witch told me you would need her blood if you wanted more like you,' Stefan said.

'Say I save your precious girlfriend, what happens next?' Klaus raised his chin.

'You save her and I'll watch you turn. Let's face it, you're only killing her to hurt me, to take her away from me,' Stefan said. 'To punish me for leaving you.'

'If I save her what's to stop you from running back to her?' Klaus asked.

Stefan smiled and reached for Klaus' hand. 'Nik, I may love that girl down there but if I had to choose, its you, no questions. It will always be you. It always has been,' Stefan closed the distance between them, but they didn't kiss, just shared air.

'Okay,' Klaus said. 'You tidy up your affairs and we leave.'

'You've got to save the aunt,' Stefan said. Klaus snarled and disappeared. He was only away moments before he returned with a struggling vampire that had been watching from a distance. Stefan recognized him as one of Klaus' acolytes. He'd never been fond of him, Devin, Stefan recalled, enjoyed hunting the weak. He favored hospitals.

'Stefan?' Elena said as soon as they landed on the ground. Stefan smiled across the flames at her. He hated that she was trapped in this prison, but Klaus had always had a flare for the dramatic.

'It's going to be okay Elena,' he said. Klaus stepped into Jenna's circle and Elena screamed.

'Run,' Klaus told Jenna. She did, but only towards Elena. Stefan grabbed Jenna and pulled her back and away from the fire.

Klaus took Devin to where the witch stood and with a snarl shoved a stake through his heart. Stefan turned to where Elena watched horrified. The werewolf was already dead, there was just one piece of the puzzle left.

'Stefan what's going on?' Elena sobbed.

'Just trust me,' Stefan said. His heart ached, he did love Elena, almost as much as he had once loved Klaus, as much as he would love him again, but he needed to do this. He knew Elena would be okay, she and Damon were getting closer and Damon would take care of her.

The thought of them together made Stefan's chest tighten but he pushed the feelings to the side as Klaus finally walked towards Elena. 'He's not going to kill you.' Stefan reassured her but Elena still shied away from Klaus.

Watching Klaus bite Elena, holding Jenna, it was one of the hardest things Stefan ever had to do. When Klaus threw his head back he looked free, exhilarated. Stefan was torn; Elena needed his help but he'd never been so attracted to Klaus as he was in that moment. He let Jenna go and helped Elena away from Klaus. 'Here,' he let Elena drink from him so she could regain her strength.

'Come on lets get out of here,' Elena said.

'No I'm staying with him,' Stefan said.

'Stefan!' Elena said.

'Go,' Stefan shouted. Damon appeared from nowhere and grabbed Elena's shoulders. 'Take her away from here.'

Damon nodded and turned, Elena struggling in his arms.

'Come on,' Damon said.

Stefan turned and walked slowly to Klaus' side.

The Hybrid was about to embrace his true nature and nothing would let Stefan miss this.

In the morning light when Klaus finally shifted back from his wolf form Stefan was waiting with clothes. His mind was churning, and he wasn't looking forward to the days to come, but Klaus distracted him with a tentative smile.

Klaus looked glorious. He was strong without being overly muscular, slim without being willowy. He was perfect, and Stefan wanted to wrap himself in Klaus and absorb him, but now wasn't the time. There was too much tension, too much unsaid.

Klaus was staying in a house on the edge of town, so Stefan followed him there. At first they tiptoed around each other. Stefan took a shower and Klaus hovered at the door watching him. It wasn't sexual, Klaus just wasn't ready for Stefan to be out of his sight.

'I'm not going to run away,' Stefan said as he dried himself off.

'Your past record tells me different,' Klaus snipped.

Stefan rolled his eyes. 'I think its time we talked.' Stefan said as he got dressed.

Klaus looked miserable as he stared into the flames. 'What if we can't sort it out?'

'Then we'll deal with it, whatever it is,' Stefan poured himself a drink and took a breath. He knew this wouldn't stay calm, he knew they would erupt and it wouldn't be pretty, but they needed to do this so they could move forward.

They fought; they fought for days. They fought over Elena, over Klaus leaving Stefan, over Stefan leaving Klaus. They fought about Klaus' family, about Stefan's about the house they were squatting in, they fought over each other too, about money and time and innocent blood spilled in the name of Klaus' agenda. They fought over the hybrids, over Klaus' desires to create his army of protection.

Eventually the fighting turned to furious, rough sex. They fucked and bit, and Stefan got infected with werewolf venom three times before Klaus pulled his teeth back. Eventually the sex moved from angry to desperate. They started to talk, to discuss what the other one had missed, the little things. They reminisced over old times, compared recent music and movies and books. Politics came up, and travel. Stefan was jealous that Klaus had spent half a decade in New Zealand and Klaus envied Stefan's South American adventures.

'We need to go away from here,' Klaus said.

'I know,' Stefan sighed. 'I need to go talk to Damon and Elena.'

As soon as Stefan stepped through the front door Elena was in his arms. Stefan buried his nose in her hair and held her close.

'I was so worried, we both were,' Elena said.

'I know,' Stefan counted to ten then forced himself to step away.

'Where were you?' Damon asked as Stefan wiped his hands on his jeans.

Stefan walked into the house. 'With Klaus.'

'How did you escape?' Elena reached for his hand and he let her take it.

'I didn't, I wasn't with him against my will,' Stefan said. He wasn't sure if he felt relief or disappointment when Elena dropped his hand like it had scalded her.

'Stefan, what's going on?' Damon asked.

'I'm going away. With Klaus,' Stefan said.

The room was silent save for the crackle of the burning logs. Stefan examined a mark on the rug beneath his feet.

'For how long?' Elena broke the silence.

'Elena,' Stefan bit his lip and looked into her brown eyes. 'Elena I'm not coming back.'

'What? I don't understand, Stefan,' Elena wrung her hands together. Stefan wanted to wrap her up and stop this hurt. But it was him, he was the one doing it this time. She wasn't his to protect, not any longer. She hadn't been his since the moment Klaus' arrived in Mystic Falls.

'I knew Klaus, from before,' Stefan glanced up at Damon. 'We were married in 1922.'

'Married?' They said at the same time.

'All this time?' Elena frowned.

'Elena, when I met you he and I, we had broken up, almost ten years ago. I loved you, I still do but- I wasn't supposed to fall in love with you. I was keeping an eye on you, and when he came looking I was going to make sure he didn't kill you, then I was going to go away, but you made me fall in love with you,' Stefan rubbed his hand over the back of his neck.

'Then don't go with him, Stefan, stay with me,' Elena pleaded.

Stefan shook his head and fought the tears. He didn't want to cry, he couldn't, not in front of her. 'I can't Elena, I need to go with him.'

'You broke up with him for a reason, obviously, are you sure this is-' Damon said.

'It's a soul bind marriage,' Stefan said. Damon's face cleared. He understood.

'That's interesting,' Damon said.

'What does that mean?' Elena asked. She used the cuff of her sleeve to wipe her tears away.

'It means I love him too,' Stefan explained. He didn't say that he loved Klaus more, that over the past year he thought of Klaus every day, had dreams of him at night. Checked up on his through sources he kept close to his chest.

Elena looked crushed and Stefan knew it was time to leave. He didn't want to hurt her more than he had to, and hanging around was just prolonging her pain.

Elena sobbed as Stefan turned away and walked to the door. He would slip inside the house later and pack a bag when everyone was asleep.

'Take care of her, and remind her that I loved her,' Stefan said to Damon. 'You'll be good for each other.'

Damon nodded and they shook hands. Klaus was waiting for him at the edge of the woods. His face was a blank mask, he'd probably been listening to everything Stefan said.

'Ready?' Klaus said. Stefan nodded and they walked away.

At first Elena hid away in her room. She ignored Caroline and Bonnie, pushed Jeremy and Matt away, and would barely look at Jenna or Aleric.

It was Damon who broke through the wall with some tough love.

'He's gone, get over it. There are people here who need you,' Damon said as he pulled the duvet off her and opened the curtains then the windows. 'You stink.'

'I don't care,' Elena curled her arms around her knees.

'Well I do, we all do. Right now your aunt Jenna is downstairs dealing with all this vampire shit and she can listen to me and Caroline all day long but what she really wants is you, so get over yourself,' Damon said.

'Get over myself, Damon my boyfriend is married to another man, to a vampire that tried to kill me!' Elena stood up.

'Yeah well my brother was married for ninety years and didn't bother telling me!' Damon snarled.

'So it's all about you?' Elena shoved her hands into his chest. 'I hate you. I hate all of you I wish I'd never met either of you, I wish I died on that bridge!' Elena let her fists thump against Damon's chest again and again until she collapsed into sobs.

Damon wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. He shushed her her gently, and Elena went willingly.

'Look at it this way, we won't have to listen to his whining,' Damon teased. 'The squirrels will be delighted!'

Elena laughed and Damon rubbed her back. 'I'm going to go shower.' She sniffed.

'Come down after, we're all here,' Damon pressed a kiss into her hair and Elena smiled up at him.

'I will,' she said.

She had to admit that a long shower and a hot meal later and Elena was feeling better. No one mentioned Stefan, Klaus or anything supernatural. She played video games with Jeremy and after dinner they watched movies all piled on the sofa.

It was good and comfortable and Elena was glad things were starting to resemble something normal.

Elena spent the summer with her friends. It was senior year now, and they were all determined to have a great summer before they had to get back to normal. Mystic Falls was quiet, the only vampire around was Damon and even then they would hang out and watch movies or play pool at the Grill. He stuck close to Jenna's side for the first days but Jenna took her condition in her stride.

It was a month before Elena heard from Stefan.

Elena woke early on her birthday. Jenna and Damon were making breakfast and there was already a pile of gifts waiting on the table. They sang to her, and after some awkward hugging Elena sat down at the table.

'Pancakes, fruit and bacon,' Damon set a plate down with a smirk.

'I love that I can still eat,' Jenna said with a grin. 'I couldn't live without bacon!'

'I'll stick to coffee and blood,' Damon smirked as he leaned against the sink.

Jenna screwed her nose up. 'Not together, right?'

Jeremy pushed his mug away.

Damon and Elena were busy laughing when her phone chimed to alert her to a text message.

Elena's heart dropped when she picked it up and saw Stefan's name.

'Happy Birthday Elena,' was all it read.

Elena stared too long, and by the time she glanced up she was the center of attention.

'Stefan remembered,' Elena sat her cell phone down. 'This food looks really good.'

Conversation returned to normal around her but Elena couldn't help but wonder what Stefan was doing now.

'You miss her,' Klaus said. Stefan gazed into the mirror and met Klaus' eyes.

'Of course I do, we spent a year together, I loved her,' Stefan shrugged. They were being fitted for suits, Klaus had made plans for them to attend an exclusive party.

'She must be special, you don't typically love easy,' Klaus tilted his head to the side. The tailor kneeling next to Stefan made a note.

'She is,' Stefan said. There was no point in lying, Klaus could always tell. 'So who is hosting this party we're going to?'

'An old friend,' Klaus said. 'I do know you love Italy.'

'I do,' Stefan nodded. 'Where?'

'Venice,' Klaus said.

'I hate Venice,' Stefan screwed his nose up.

'I know that too,' Klaus stepped up behind Stefan and pressed his chest against Stefan's back. The tailor moved away and Klaus kissed Stefan's neck. 'You do look fetching in a suit Stefan.'

'You're not too bad yourself,' Stefan said.

He held his wrist up to Stefan's lips. 'Feed.'

Stefan smiled into the mirror, then bit into Klaus' skin.

They traveled on the Orient Express, the carriages were a perfect replica of the 1920s train. Klaus was in his element. They spent the journey absorbing wonderful views and reminiscing over their time together in the twenties when they first fell in love.

It was warm when they arrived in Venice, and as they got deeper into the city Stefan screwed his nose up. 'How can you ignore the smell?'

'It grows on you, like I imagine Damon does,' Klaus teased. Stefan shook his head but he was smiling, thinking fondly of his big brother.

'Are we running from Elijah?' Stefan asked.

'I prefer to refer to it as evading,' Klaus said as they turned into a narrow street. The door led to a top floor apartment with a view of Grand Canal. Stefan had been here before; it was his least favorite of Klaus' homes.

'So what's the deal, you don't just travel to Venice for a party,' Stefan said.

'I'm going to shower, would you like to join me?' Klaus tugged Stefan towards the master suite.

'Oh, so there is something going on,' Stefan stopped and pulled Klaus back a little. Klaus turned to glare at him.

'Yes, the something going on is that I haven't had sex with my husband since yesterday, I also haven't had a shower since yesterday, and I haven't slept since yesterday because you kept me up all night talking about the bloody twenties,' Klaus complained but there was no anger in his argument.

'Nik,' Stefan pouted.

Klaus rolled his eyes and pulled Stefan forward. 'First shower and sex then story,' Klaus said.

'I'm good with that,' Stefan smirked and followed Klaus to the shower.

'Do you recall in the thirties during the early years of the depression that I lost a significant amount of money in one of my investments in Germany?' Klaus asked. He was lying on his side, his fingers tracing random shapes on Stefan's back.

'It was some sort of science laboratory?' Stefan said. His arms were folded underneath the plush pillow and the evening breeze was skimming their bodies.

'Yes,' Klaus nodded.

'There were the best scientists from all over the world in there,' Stefan mused.

'Indeed. I, along with many others, was encouraged to invest in it, there were perhaps twenty of us,' Klaus said. 'It folded, or so we thought in 1933.'

'You were pissed. We came to Germany at the time, you were ready to behead everyone in sight,' Stefan grinned. 'I kept having to pull you back.'

'If it wasn't for you Germany itself would have been a sea of blood,' Klaus admitted. 'I found out a few years ago that we had been fooled.'

Stefan blinked up at Klaus. 'Fooled?'

'It never folded, at the time they hunted for cures to human diseases, which suited us vampires because we needed our food supply, but that was just the front of house operations. In the background they were searching for something else, some weapon that could be used to annihilate their enemies,' Klaus paused. His eyes glazed over for a moment, he was someplace else. Stefan nudged his leg. 'They wanted something that could wipe out a nation.'

'So they managed to make the atomic bomb first?' Stefan was no longer relaxed. He pushed the pillow away and sat up. Klaus looked over at him.

'No, they created a biological virus,' Klaus said.

'A virus?' Stefan shifted where he was sitting. 'A virus to do what?'

Klaus licked his lips and stood up from the bed. 'A virus to infect and kill a significant number of humans. This virus could be passed to one another through bodily contact.'

'And once a person is infected?' Stefan asked.

Klaus sighed. 'The infected person loses their mental capabilities, they become enraged and they only have one drive; the need for human flesh.'

'Zombie,' Stefan said softly. 'You mentioned they created this virus?'

Klaus nodded. 'They told the investors that with the new government in Germany the program folded, and the money was absorbed by the new government, we fought it, of course, but you know what happened after that,' Klaus shrugged.

'The Nazi government,' Stefan said.

'Do you recall the last time we parted ways, in 2003?' Klaus asked.

Stefan snorted. They'd been fighting for weeks, Stefan was sure Klaus had been up to something, he was evasive and refused to talk, but when he'd asked Stefan to uproot his life and travel to Spain without telling Stefan why it had been the final straw. They fought bitterly and Stefan left, unable to deal with Klaus' secrets and what Stefan then thought was another chase for power.

'You knew something then?' Stefan said.

'I didn't know enough to let you know,' Klaus admitted. 'I didn't trust my sources and I hadn't done enough investigation myself.'

'I could have helped you,' Stefan said with a frown. 'If you told me-'

'I would have needlessly endangered your life when I didn't know enough of the facts!' Klaus flung his arms out. 'We may not always see eye to eye, but you're the most important thing in my life Stefan, even when we're not together.'

'I'm not some weak underling, I'm your husband!' Stefan stood from the bed.

'My husband who, at the time, wouldn't even feed properly!' Klaus said. 'I couldn't trust that you were safe.'

Stefan sighed deflated. 'So I left you because you were keeping me safe?'

Klaus shrugged. 'I didn't want to tell you something I didn't trust.'

'Don't do that again, please, Nik, look at how much time we keep wasting,' Stefan walked to where Klaus stood in the middle of the room. He reached for Klaus and pulled him into a hug. Klaus wrapped his arms around Stefan and pressed a kiss to his shoulder.

'We're here because there is someone who has the formula to recreate this virus in their possession,' Klaus said. 'If they use or sell it that could mean global annihilation.'

Stefan's frown turned to a smile after a moment. Klaus scowled at him.

'My husband, fighting a war against global terror,' Stefan teased. Klaus scowled more, but Stefan could see the beginnings of a smile forming.

'Have you seen the new chemistry teacher?' Caroline slid her arm through Elena's. 'Cute shirt.'

'Thanks. No I haven't seen him yet but I will next period,' Elena said.

'He is, oh my god hot,' Caroline announced. She pressed her palms to Elena's shoulders like the word hot should have made Elena jump on the spot. It didn't.

Elena laughed and pulled her friend closer.

'So you and Damon huh?' Caroline nudged.

'There's nothing going on,' Elena said. 'We're friends.'

'Does he know that?' Caroline asked as the turned the corner.

'Yes, he does. He knows I'm still getting over Stefan,' Elena explained. 'It just takes time.'

'So he's happy to wait. And when you're over Stefan will you be under Damon?' Caroline ducked her head and faked a cute smile.

'Caroline!' Elena blushed, but she didn't deny it. There was something, there always had been something with Damon. He challenged Elena more than she cared to admit. A life with Damon would certainly be interesting and Elena liked interesting.

'I'm just asking, I want to understand,' Caroline said with a cheeky smile.

'Do you ever hear from him?' Elena bit her lip.

'Who Damon, only when we're in mutual company. We tend to keep out of each others way,' Caroline said with a cheeky smile.

'You know I didn't mean Damon,' Elena scolded softly, but Caroline's evasive answer was all she needed. She clearly had heard from Stefan. 'Please, is he okay?'

'He's fine,' Caroline sighed. 'The last time we spoke he was in Venice.'

'Venice?' Elena asked. Venice was supposed to be one of the most romantic cities in the world, and Stefan was there with Klaus. 'I guess Klaus really knows how to romance someone.'

'No it was all business as far as I could tell,' Caroline said and then she turned worried eyes on Elena.

'Business, I don't understand,' Elena frowned. Caroline looked away but Elena stopped. 'Tell me.'

'I don't know okay, Stefan said he and Klaus were chasing something, some lead to do with something from their past. They were moving onto Thailand afterwards.' Caroline gazed down at her shoes.

'Well next time you're speaking to him...' Elena sighed. 'Just let me know he's okay.'

'Okay,' Caroline said. They walked into the chemistry classroom and Elena peeked at the hot teacher from behind her hair.

'Wow, you weren't wrong,' Elena said as she took her seat beside Tyler.

'I know,' Caroline grinned.

Tyler shoved a shoulder into Elena and smiled, Elena smiled back and opened her textbook at the teachers instruction.

'Stefan's in Thailand,' Elena said as soon as she walked into the boarding house. Damon was leafing through a large ledger and scribbling notes on a page.

'I know,' he said.

'Wait, how?' Elena sat next to him.

'He called me,' Damon said sheepishly. 'Look Elena, you're only hurting yourself.'

'No, I'm comforting myself by knowing he's okay,' Elena said. Why could no one understand this.

'He's fine with Klaus, Klaus won't hurt him,' Damon said.

'How do you know that, he could be being compelled or hurt or-'

'He's not,' Damon said. 'He asked me to look into something, do you want to help?'

'But how do you know he's not being hurt Damon?' Elena said.

'Elena, I don't think it's something we should discuss, it's Stefan's business,' Damon said.

Elena frowned, Damon was keeping something from her and she wanted to know what it was.

'I'll just find out myself. I'll call him, and he might not take it but if I call enough it'll irritate Klaus and he'll come back here and-'

'They're soul bound, okay,' Damon said with a sigh.

'What does that mean?' Elena asked.

'It means that when they got married, in 1922, the witch who officiated did a complicated spell to protect Stefan. She bound their souls forever, and in doing so ensured they'd not only be in love forever, but that one could never really hurt the other, not physically. It linked them, so that their emotions are almost shared,' Damon rubbed his face. 'It means that if Stefan had feelings for you, then a tiny part of them bled to Klaus. Klaus wouldn't want to kill you because of the bleed, but it doesn't mean he loves you, not like Stefan does.'

'So Stefan was in love with Klaus even when we were together,' Elena said. She pulled her knees up to her chest.

'Love is complicated Elena, it is possible to love two people at once. They had parted ways, but a part of Stefan always loved Klaus. He was in love with you though, that was real,' Damon turned back to the book.

'But he choose Klaus,' Elena said. She would never forget the last time she saw Stefan walking away. Klaus had been waiting for him, and they hadn't touched or spoke, Klaus just walked with Stefan at his side. Elena's heart had broke.

'Elena, stop torturing yourself. Here, come look at this, it's from 1930. This handsome devil of a Salvatore used to own among other things, shipping rights to Europe,' Damon smiled.

Elena rolled her eyes and leaned closer to see what Damon was referring to. 'There's a flower, especially rare, that only grows here in Virginia, Maryland and as far as I know in North Carolina. It hasn't been found anywhere else. This company in Germany paid me big bucks to have it harvested and sent all the way over there. The flower is a variation of scopolamine. Its typically native to South America but it was imported here a few hundred years ago. The flower is usually white but I remember it being more of a blue or purple color,' Damon said.

'So what are you doing now?' Elena asked. She leaned close and Damon's cologne caught in her nose.

'I'm trying to track down where it grew, I want to see if it's still there,' Damon scribbled something else down. 'I'm noting all the sites it used to grow them paying them a visit. Are you up for a road trip?'

'Hell yeah,' Elena grinned.

Spending some time escaping Mystic Falls was just what she needed.

The town of Orchardville wasn't really a town, more of a hamlet. There were a few housing developments grouped together, a gas station and a small diner where they had stopped for refreshments.

Elena slid into the seat across from Damon and watched as he poured over the map he'd brought from home. It was the original map he'd used when the scopolamine flower was being harvested in the twenties and thirties. He pulled the new map they'd purchased at the gas station next door forward and while Elena sipped her coffee he plotted the route to where the flower grew.

'So what does it do?' Elena asked.

'The original flower, the white one, its known as Devils Breath. An extremely dangerous drug,' Damon said.

'I've heard of it,' Elena said. 'Why is Stefan so interested.'

'Why does Stefan do anything?' Damon sucked on his cheek.

'Or maybe its Klaus who's interested,' Elena mused.

Damon didn't answer her, but he gave her the "drop it" look. After a few minutes he sat back and looked around the diner while Elena finished her coffee.

The drive was short, they stopped next to a wooded area and Damon took the lead through the forest path.

'Do you even know where you're going?' Elena complained.

'Sort of,' Damon said.

'Well I don't think you ouch-' Elena's foot caught on a fallen branch and she lurched forward. Damon caught her before she fell, his arms tight around her body.

'Hey, be careful,' he took her hand and helped her right herself. 'This way.' He said. He didn't let go of her hand and Elena didn't shake him off.

'The last places were dead ends,' Elena said after a few minutes. Damon tugged her forward.

'Yeah well this could be a dead end too, we need to try,' Damon said.

'I don't get what's so important,' Elena complained. 'I should be in chem class right now, our new teacher is a hottie.'

'Oh yeah, is his name Damon Salvatore?' Damon asked. He stopped and looked at the fork in the path.

'Loser,' Elena said fondly. 'Which way?'

'The map is not that detailed,' Damon said.

'We could split up,' Elena suggested.

'No,' Damon said. He pulled her towards the one that was more overgrown.

'It would save us a bucket load of time,' Elena argued but she liked walking with him, holding his hand. 'It's only a flower.'

'It's dangerous, Elena, and besides,' Damon smiled and held their joined hand up. 'I like this.'

'I do too,' Elena admitted as she picked her path carefully.

They walked for a few minutes before they came to a small clearing with a river. 'Bingo.' Damon smirked.

'You took Elena!' Stefan said. Klaus raised an eyebrow at Stefan's tone but didn't say anything.

'Relax brother, she's safe. We were only looking for a flower,' Damon said. 'It was growing on one site. I took a few samples, I even pulled a root to see if I can keep a fresh one.'

'Where is it now?' Stefan walked to the window and looked out. He could see the street below, busy and packed with people. Across from them lived a Shaman Klaus had wanted to talk to but he'd been dead when they arrived late last night. Klaus had found an empty apartment across from the Shamans and decided to squat a few days to see if anything interesting happened. So far nothing.

'Safe in our cellar,' Damon said. 'So why do you want it?'

Stefan smiled over at Klaus. His husband was wearing beige pants and a white shirt that lay open. Stefan had never seen him look so relaxed before. Klaus frowned for a second, pouted then shook his head.

'It's early days yet Damon, I don't even know that we do need it. Did you check out the other sites?' Stefan said. Klaus stood up and moved to the window, then prowled around the room.

'Yeah, I did. Nothing, but I could have missed it, you know how the bees spread the seeds,' Damon teased. Stefan smiled.

'You're an idiot,' he said fondly. 'How is Elena?'

Klaus paused and turned his head to the side. Stefan walked closer and reached a hand out to touch his back and slide around his ribs. He hooked his chin over Klaus' shoulder and pressed a kiss to the corner of Klaus' mouth.

'She's obviously curious,' Damon said. 'Asks a lot of questions.'

'Yeah well be as honest as you can or she'll find out anyway,' Stefan said.

'I had to tell her about your soul bond, she thought you were compelled,' Damon admitted.

'Nik can't compel me, it's part of the protection of the bond,' Stefan said.

'Are you happy?' Damon asked.

'Yeah, I really am,' Stefan admitted. 'You and Elena?'

'She's not ready yet,' Damon said.

'Well you treat her right, you know, when she is,' Stefan said with a smile. Klaus turned for another kiss.

'That's if the new chemistry teacher doesn't get her first,' Damon sounded playful again.

'Oh I'm sure you can get the girl brother,' Stefan said.

They ended the call and Klaus turned in Stefan's arms. 'You're too good for me you know.' Klaus said.

'Oh I know,' Stefan teased and kissed him gently. He ran his hands through Klaus' hair and was ready to pull him back onto the bed when there was a noise in the apartment with the dead Shaman.

Reluctantly they let each other go and went to the window to watch what was going on.

'Witches,' Klaus said eventually. 'They have American accents.'

'Yeah, that's disturbing,' Stefan said.

'American and Irish,' Klaus sucked on his cheek. 'They killed him, but they don't know where the formula is, they thought he knew.'

Stefan waited until there was silence across the street. 'They thought he could translate the formula.'

'Yes, but they don't have it. Perhaps they thought he knew it,' Klaus murmured.

'Or they just wanted him on hand for when they needed him,' Stefan said.

'Okay, lets get out of here,' Klaus grabbed his bag and reached out to pull Stefan close. They kissed, and then Klaus pulled back. 'Feed.'

'Wouldn't you rather wait until later?' Stefan said.

'No, feed now, I'll get something on the way out,' Klaus said.

Stefan nodded, stepped forward and bit into Klaus' neck.

They tracked the witches through China and Mongolia into Russia, moving for days. The witches, five of them, didn't know they were being tracked or they'd have hidden themselves by now.

'Why do you think they aren't flying?' Stefan asked Klaus. They'd barely stopped in the last forty eight hours.

'Perhaps they have some weapon that magic cannot cloak,' Klaus shrugged.

'Or they maybe need something that's in Russia. Wasn't there a Russian scientist in the thirties at the facility?' Stefan asked.

Klaus frowned and nodded. 'Jak, I think his name was. He was a man in his late sixties. He didn't want to be there, not really but his brilliance kept him there.' Klaus said.

'Is there anyone could look up the records you keep and maybe track his family down?' Stefan asked.

'Elijah will do me no favors,' Klaus said.

They drove for another thirty minutes, Stefan churning the right words through his mind. Eventually, when none were forthcoming he sighed. 'So offer him a sibling.'

'What?' Klaus turned to Stefan.

'He wants someone, offer him someone,' Stefan shrugged. 'Who will forgive the easiest?'

They both knew the answer. Rebekah had been daggered the night Mikael attached Chicago. Stefan had been sleeping with both siblings, the ripper enjoyed the games more than Stefan did, but Stefan knew the siblings would one day make him choose, and all three of them knew who Stefan's choice would be. Mikael just moved their timetable up. Rebekah had argued and fought against running, so Klaus did the one thing that would keep her safe; he daggered her and found the trigger for Stefan's humanity. A witch bound them later that year.

Rebekah was the obvious choice, even if she would be hurt by their actions since then.

The witches stopped later and piled into a plain looking hotel. Stefan and Klaus opted to stay in the car watching the door of the hotel. It was late when Klaus called Elijah.

They spoke at length and argued but ultimately Elijah agreed to help on the promise of undaggering Rebekah.

'He'll call when he has the information and I'll have Rebekah delivered to him,' Klaus said as he made another call. Stefan slunk low in his seat and reached for Klaus' hand.

Elijah called back early next morning. Stefan was sleeping with his head on Klaus' shoulder but he woke to the sounds of conversation.

'There a great grandson,' Klaus said. 'About fifty miles from here. We'll head over and talk to him.'

It was easy to compel the scientists great grandson, and by the time the witches arrived his mind had been wiped of Stefan and Klaus' visit. They left with several journals and other trinkets owned by the man.

They drove for hours, not stopping until they were in Warsaw Poland. It had taken almost seven days of driving from Thailand to get here, including the stops made. Klaus found an exclusive hotel with opulent rooms where they spent three days fucking and sleeping.

'This last week has been tedious,' Klaus mumbled into the pillow. Stefan stroked his fingers down Klaus' spine to the crack of his ass, and back to his neck.

'I think that's the longest we spent together without intimacy,' Stefan agreed. 'What's our next move?'

'Well, the Irish witch seemed to be the ring leader. It just so happens that I know a coven who may be able to help. I want to know what witches want with the virus,' Klaus said.

'They probably plan to eradicate it just like we do,' Stefan said. 'They are human after all.'

'I don't trust witches,' Klaus complained.

'I know,' Stefan kissed his cheek. He let his hand drift lower until his fingertip brushed Klaus' hole. 'Still loose.'

'Perhaps you should mount me again,' Klaus arched his hips up from the bed into Stefan's hand. 'If you can that is.'

'You're insatiable,' Stefan complained as he shifted closer to lick and kiss Klaus' neck.

'You love it,' Klaus said. Stefan bit him hard and drank a mouthful of blood.

Klaus' blood was different from other vampires blood. The werewolf in him made him naturally stronger, and it strengthened his blood too. Typically a vampires blood was weaker than a humans blood, but Klaus was different, his blood had the wolf running through it and it made Stefan stronger than other vampires his age. Stefan, whilst feeding on Klaus regularly, could overpower a vampire five times his age. And there was addiction, or lack of it. The blood didn't trigger Stefan's deepest desires, he was happy to pull from Klaus what he needed and stop, it was one of the benefits of breaking Klaus' curse for both of them.

'Yes,' Klaus pushed Stefan's face closer to his neck. 'That's it love, take what you need.'

'Next week is Halloween,' Elena said as she sat next to Damon. 'I was wondering if you wanted to have a party?'

'A party?' Damon said. He raised an eyebrow and nodded. 'I could do a party.'

'Can I invite my friends?' Elena licked her lips.

'I don't have that many lying around, so yeah, go ahead,' Damon shrugged. 'Wait, do we have to invite Donovan?'

'He's my friend, jerk,' Elena smacked Damon on the arm and he rolled his eyes.

'Hang on,' Damon said as he watched Elena text Caroline. 'You two planned this.'

'Well yours is the biggest house besides Tyler's mom frowns on drunk people puking in her fountain,' Elena crossed her legs. 'Not that any drunk people will puke on anything of yours.'

'Uh huh, I can't believe you played me,' Damon stuck his fingers in Elena's ribs.

'Damon no!' Elena cried as she tried to get away from him but it was no good, Damon had the strength to hold her down. Her foot connected with his hip but Damon tickled on until Elena begged for mercy.

'Please,' she said and Damon relaxed. He was half on top of her now, and once Elena caught her breath the look on his face took it away again. 'Damon.'

It was a plea, a prayer. Damon cupped her head and leaned close. His lips were dry but firm as he brushed them against hers. Elena shifted beneath him, and Damon rested an elbow beside her head. 'You are so beautiful,' he whispered.

'I - kiss me again,' Elena begged. Damon did, dropping his head he caught her lips and licked into her mouth. Elena wrapped a leg around his as they got comfortable. He was everywhere, her lips, her throat. Elena arched back and gave him access to what he could reach. Their fingers tangled together and they spent the rest of the evening making out on the sofa.

As Elena slipped into bed that night she brushed her lips with her fingertips and imagined Damon kissing her goodnight. She fell asleep with his taste on her tongue.

'I kissed Damon,' Elena said as she gathered her books from her locker.

'Wow!' Caroline said.

'Damon,' Bonnie frowned.

'Guys,' Elena said.

'Well I for one am happy that you're moving on,' Caroline stuck her chin out and hip checked her friend. Elena smiled gratefully at her. It wasn't easy admitting to them how much she liked Damon. Damon wasn't a good person, at least not when he came to Mystic Falls but he was getting better, he was trying just like Elena asked him to. She hoped that one day her friends would see what she did.

'I am,' Elena smiled to herself. 'You know I haven't thought of Stefan like that in a few weeks. Like I still think about him only, it doesn't hurt as much.'

'Oh my god, Elena Gilbert is finally over Stefan Salvatore,' Bonnie grinned.

'And last night I had a dream about Damon,' Elena bit her lip.

'Okay now we're in over share territory,' Caroline scolded.

'It wasn't like that, we were sharing a picnic, only the food was made of pillows and feathers,' Elena frowned. 'What do you think that means?'

'It means you've got fluff for brains when it comes to Damon,' Bonnie teased gently.

Elena laughed and rolled her eyes.

They filed into chemistry where Dr Maxfield stood waiting for the class to settle. 'Good morning,' he said as everyone sat down. 'Today we're going to discuss plant life, and we're going to find the best types of fertilizers for a range of different plants.'

Tyler rolled his eyes as each of them were handed a plant in a pot. 'Lets call it Joe,' Elena offered. She was pleased to see him smile.

After school Damon met Elena and her friends at the Grill. 'Am I dating all three of you?' He asked as he wrapped an arm around Elena.

'Ugh,' Bonnie said. Caroline rolled her eyes and they both marched away from him.

'I think the words you're looking for are "sorry I was a jackass to you, I'm going to make it up" or something to that effect,' Elena said.

'First of all, they hate me. Second, I have a lot of making up to do,' Damon said.

'Well best get started then hadn't you,' Elena said. Damon headed to the bar and ordered drinks while Elena started on her homework.

'Well that's boring,' Damon said when he returned to the table.

'You were away twenty minutes,' Elena said.

'Ric needed my advice,' Damon said.

'I don't want to know do I?' Elena tapped her pen against her textbook.

'So for our first official date,' Damon leaned forward and smirked. 'I was thinking...' Damon looked around the room, he examined the ceiling then the wood of the table.

'What?' Elena asked when Damon said nothing.

'I don't know,' Damon sighed. He slapped Elena's book and gave her a long look. 'Normally I can date girls, you know, I can woo and I can thrill and I can make them drop their panties at the blink of an eye.'

Elena stared at Damon. 'Really?' She said.

'No, no you don't get it, you see usually that's my game, but with you,' Damon shrugged.

'I'm difficult,' Elena said.

'Yes, because you're special. I'm not chasing sex with you Elena, I want all of it,' Damon leaned close. 'I just don't know what to do to make it special.'

'Well you better know mister, one make out session doesn't make you my boyfriend,' Elena poked him with her pencil. She bit her lip to keep the smile off her face but her tummy was flopping at his words.

'I've been your boyfriend for years, you just didn't know it,' Damon teased. 'Seriously, what do you want to do?'

'Seriously, you figure it out,' Elena said.

'You're giving me nothing?' Damon frowned. The door opened and Dr Maxfield strolled in.

'Oh look, its my hot chemistry teacher. I bet he knows how to do first dates,' Elena smirked.

Damon rolled his eyes and turned to look at the man. 'He looks familiar,' Damon said after a few minutes.

'Really, how?' Elena asked.

Damon shook his head sadly. 'I have no idea.'

'Oh,' Elena said. 'Hey lets play some pool or something.'

'Yeah,' Damon said getting to his feet. 'Lets.'

Damon picked Elena up on Saturday and took her out of town to a Mexican restaurant in Lynchburg.

'This is our first date?' Elena said as she got out of the car. She smoothed the black lace over her thighs as they walked to the restaurant.

'This is our first date. We're going to eat an amazing meal, and then, I'm taking you salsa dancing,' Damon said. Elena slipped her arm through his and Damon smiled.

'Salsa dancing,' Elena said with a grin. 'I love salsa dancing.'

'Uh huh, so get ready for a steamy hot night,' Damon swung his hips as he took her and and pulled her close.

'I like it,' Elena grinned.

'I thought you would,' Damon waggled his eyebrows.

They were shown to their table, and after ordering their food Elena couldn't resist looking around and admiring some stunning artwork. 'It's beautifully decorated.'

'Have you ever been to Mexico?' Damon asked as he took her hand.

'No, I would love to go.' Elena admitted as she watched Damon's fingertips trace patterns on her palm.

'We'll road trip it,' Damon nodded. 'So, providing its not too forward, hoping we're still together, would you like to road trip it before college or between years?'

Elena laughed. 'I haven't thought that far ahead yet.'

'It's your final year, you need to make your last summer before college memorable!' Damon squeezed her hands and kissed her knuckles.

'I do, don't I?' Elena said. She imagined a sun kissed beach, the warm lapping ocean and Damon next to her with a pink cocktail.

'You do,' Damon grinned. The food arrived and they sat back to eat but something in the corner caught Elena's eye.

'Hey Damon, over there, isn't that the same type of plant that's in your basement, the one we harvested last month?' Elena said.

Damon looked across to the wall and frowned. 'You're right,' Damon said. 'What's it doing here?'

'Maybe it's more common than we realized,' Elena shrugged.

After they ate Damon led Elena to the basement where they found a small table in the corner.

'I don't think I can dance like that' Elena said as she watched people move around them.

'Nonsense,' Damon said as he set drinks on the table. 'You'll be brilliant!'

Elena shrugged and took a sip of the ridiculous cocktail Damon set in front of her.

It took fifteen minutes for Elena to gather her courage. Damon rested his hands on her hips and waggled his own. 'Come on like this,' he said.

They didn't move far, and Elena was starting to feel self conscious when another pair of hands rested below Damon's own.

'Just relax, enjoy yourself, have fun,' the woman said in her ear. She had a Spanish accent and must have been taller than Elena. 'Imagine you're having sex with that gorgeous boyfriend of yours and you'll get it.'

'Okay,' Elena shrugged. The woman moved away and Damon pulled her closer and kissed her. They stayed like that with tangled legs and swaying hips until the tension got too much.

The air was cool, and Elena was glad of it. Damon pressed her into the side of his car and kissed her until they couldn't breathe.

'We should get home, now,' she said.

They were halfway when Elena turned and kissed Damon's cheek.

Damon growled and pulled over to the side of the road. His hand cupped Elena's face as he pulled her close. 'Beautiful,' he whispered when he pulled away.

'Damon,' Elena whined. Damon kissed her again.

They ended up in the back seat, Elena straddled across Damon's lap. His hands were under her dress gripping at her ass. Elena reached for his belt, and once he had eased his jeans over his hips she ran her fingers along his cock.

'Tease,' Damon muttered as his long fingers pushed past her panties. She was soaking wet and Damon groaned as he pushed two digits inside of her. Elena rocked on his hand but it wasn't enough. 'I wanted to do this on a bed with you all spread out.'

'We still can,' Elena said, 'but I can't wait any longer.'

Damon dragged her panties down over the curve of her ass and sucked a spot on her neck, and then Elena was lowering herself onto his hard length.

'Yes, baby,' Damon groaned as his hands gripped her hips.

'Is this okay?' Elena asked. There wasn't much space to move but Elena used Damon's shoulders to give her some leverage.

'Perfect, you're perfect,' Damon kissed her mouth and dropped his thumb to her clit.

'Oh,' she breathed. 'Yes.'

Elena clenched around Damon's cock and he snarled into her shoulder.

She could feel her orgasm fizzle under her skin and it burned from her cunt out. She came with a shout and a few thrusts later Damon spilled inside her.

Elena gripped Damon's neck and rested her cheek on his shoulder. His hand was under her dress still.

'I have no idea how I'm going to get us home now,' Damon admitted.

Elena laughed and pressed a kiss to her boyfriends lips.

Stefan arched his back and let the water rush over his face. It felt amazing, the heat seeped into his skin. He opened his mouth and enjoyed the power of the shower on his tongue when he felt arms slide around him. Klaus pressed a kiss to his neck and Stefan turned in his arms to catch his lips. They kissed below the water, Klaus fighting for dominance and Stefan giving in, for now. Their hips ground together easily, just tiny movements but enough to start their arousal.

'To what do I owe this pleasure?' Stefan asked as Klaus kissed his way down Stefan's chest to catch a nipple between his teeth. Stefan groaned and cupped Klaus' head.

'It's your birthday, isn't it?' Klaus said when he lifted his head for another kiss. 'You may have whatever you want. I'm all yours.'

'Whatever?' Stefan gripped Klaus' ass.

'Whatever,' Klaus breathed.

'Surprise me,' Stefan suggested. Klaus fell to his knees.

Later as they packed to leave for Dublin, Stefan got a text from Elena.

'What?' Klaus asked as Stefan's thumb hovered over the cell phone.

'Elena sent me a text,' Stefan said. He hadn't heard from her since the night he left Mystic Falls with Klaus.

Klaus wrapped an arm around his back and rubbed his hand along Stefan's spine. He reached for the phone in Stefan's hand and Stefan let go of it immediately. Stefan watched as Klaus opened the message and turned the phone so that Stefan could see it too.

'Happy Birthday,' Klaus read. He turned and pressed a kiss to Stefan's cheek. 'I am sorry my love, you know that.'

'I would have found you again anyway Nik,' Stefan said.

'I've always wanted to visit Dublin, follow the trail of James Joyce,' Stefan said.

'I've organized a late birthday gift,' Klaus admitted as he led Stefan across the street. 'Tonight we'll attend a reading in a riverside pub.'

'That sounds perfect,' Stefan said. 'And where are we going now?'

'To meet a coven of witches, of course,' Klaus said like Stefan should have known.

The redbrick house had a bright yellow door, and once they were inside Klaus handed a young woman with long red hair something wrapped in cloth. She smiled.

'Come this way,' she led them to the kitchen and reached for two mugs. They were empty when she handed one to each.

'She wants some of our blood,' Klaus explained. Stefan watched as Klaus bit into his wrist and let it run into the mug. Stefan copied him a moment later.

'She's been waiting for you,' the young woman said.

'Who?' Klaus asked.

'Come this way, and try not to be alarmed at her appearance,' she said as she led them to a room.

Stefan tried to hold back his shock at the sight of the old woman. She was tiny, much too small for the paper like skin that covered her body. Her hair was white and sat in messy curls on top of her head. The chair she sat in supported her fully, and her movements were slow and deliberate, as if she considered them carefully before wasting energy on them. But what shocked him most were her eyes. There were white too, and Stefan could detect a faint gray outline of a pupil. Stefan wasn't easily frightened but he reached for Klaus' hand and squeezed tight.

'Don't be startled, didn't my family warn you?' She croaked. Her voice was rough, and when she spoke her teeth had long since disappeared. 'Don't answer. I know no warnings could prepare you for this.'

'We brought gifts,' Klaus said.

'Did you bring oranges? I am fond of oranges,' she smiled.

'We did,' Stefan said. He watched as she reached for the spectacles sitting next to her on a table and placed then on her nose.

'Oh my, you are handsome,' she said when she examined Stefan, and then she turned to Klaus and made a noise of recognition. 'You look like your father.'

Klaus gaped, and looked from the old woman to Stefan. 'I-'

'Not Mikael, the monster, Ansel.' She smacked her lips and sighed.

'You knew my father?' Klaus asked.

'Oh yes, I'm as old as time,' she said. 'I'm not, but it feels as if I am. I suppose you boys want to know why you're here?'

'We were tracking a descendant of yours,' Stefan admitted.

'No, no that was a trap. It's taken me years to get you here, but there's only two of you. I need the rest.' She clicked her tongue and motioned one of the women in the room forward. The woman let her drink through a straw and Stefan turned to Klaus. Klaus looked as lost as Stefan felt.

'You're here, because it is time for you to be here,' she said. 'Many times over the years I have waited for the doppelgängers and their lovers to come but alas, none has.'

'I'm sorry, neither of us are doppelgängers,' Klaus said.

'Ah, but you're wrong. Stefan, you are. Once there was an arrogant witch who took a human wife, and he arranged for them to live forever. Nature rebelled only after his first lover took her revenge, and in order to counteract his actions, shadows of he and his lover have been alive for centuries,' the witch smiled. 'The curse must be broken, and a thousand years after you were born Niklaus, but the doppelgänger chose the wrong brother.'

'Tatia and Elijah,' Klaus breathed.

'Indeed. It was I who provided the immortality you hold now,' she sighed. 'Esther tricked even me, using doppelgänger blood in the spell. She was supposed to use witch blood and your true self was not to be suppressed.'

Klaus snorted and looked away. Stefan squeezed his hand.

'The natural order has been at odds for all this time. We thought that it might break with Katherine, "the love of two brothers will break the curse" it said. I misunderstood, of course, the way humans do. And then you two met, do you know what happened, the day you met? I felt it, in my heart. I knew that the end was coming, the end must happen so a new beginning arises. There are many words in the prophecy, I will show you, but the love of two brothers is for each other, you, Stefan and Damon.'

'How do you-?'

'I know many many things,' she sighed. 'I'm tired, I need to rest.'

'Of course,' Stefan licked his lips.

'The next time we meet, I would like to meet the other doppelgänger,' she said.

'You want Elena, here,' Stefan said.

'She's required for the spells, yes,' she said.

'We'll take our leave, you rest, and we'll ensure to have a big batch of oranges on our return,' Klaus bowed. Stefan's heart warmed at his husbands actions.

'Be good boys,' she almost teased.

They said their goodbyes. Once on the sidewalk Stefan turned to Klaus. 'Do I call Damon or Elena?' Stefan shrugged.

'Dublin?' Damon said.

'Yeah, this witch, she's old Damon, like Klaus' age only she's been aging.' Stefan explained.

'I don't like it,' Damon said.

'There's more, okay, but we don't want to talk about it over the phone.' Stefan said. Klaus made a face at him. 'We're going to rent a place for a few weeks while you're here.'

'We,' Damon said.

'Nik and I,' Stefan explained.

'Are you sure that's wise?' Damon asked.

'There's things happening, things you don't know about, and if we're all in one place its easier for the witches to protect it,' Stefan explained.

'Shit, man is this big?' Damon asked.

'Just come to Dublin, okay,' Stefan said.

Damon sighed down the line.

'Is he being difficult?' Klaus asked. Stefan tossed his cell phone over his shoulder and swung his leg over Klaus' lap. He cupped Klaus' face and kissed him.

'Let's not talk about my brother, we'll see him soon enough,' Stefan said as he tugged his t-shirt over his head.

Elena saw Stefan and Klaus before they noticed her and Damon. They were chatting and watching as they waited, and at one point Klaus said something that made Stefan throw his head back and laugh. Stefan hooked an arm around Klaus' neck and pulled him close so he could plant a kiss on the side of his head. Stefan kept his arm where it was.

It felt odd, seeing Stefan with someone else, seeing him treat Klaus the way he would have treated her. Elena wondered if Stefan was still sweet and loving with Klaus, if Klaus was kind or demanding. She hoped he wasn't cruel to Stefan, she couldn't stand it if he were.

'Hey,' Damon squeezed her hand.

'I'm okay,' Elena swallowed and squeezed back. The crowd shifted and for a moment she lost sight of them, but when it moved again Stefan was looking right at her. He smiled at her, and Elena smiled back.

'Hi,' Stefan said. He slipped his hands into his pockets.

'Hi,' Elena said. Damon stepped forward and wrapped Stefan in a hug, slapping his back.

'So we've got a car this way,' Stefan turned. Klaus nodded to both of them but strolled next to Stefan. Their knuckles brushed as they walked but they didn't touch any more than that. Elena looked away and focused on the most difficult task of pulling her suitcase along behind her.

Stefan unlocked the car, they loaded their luggage and then he opened a back door for Elena. She smiled as she slid inside but she was relieved to see Damon join her in the back.

'So, how was your flight?' Stefan said as they pulled out onto the road. Elena gripped Damon's hand tight as he made small talk on her behalf.

'I wasn't sure if you two would want to share a room or...' Stefan trailed off.

'We can share,' Elena said.

Stefan nodded and carried her bag into a room. 'Make yourself at home, I did a bit of shopping this morning but if you need any more just shout out.'

Damon followed them into the room and dropped his bag next to the bed. 'You said there was stuff we needed to know,' he said.

'Yeah, there is, we'll talk later, Nik and I have a meeting we need to get to,' Stefan backed out of the room. 'You two must be jet lagged. We'll bring fish and chips back.'

Elena smiled. 'That sounds good.'

Stefan turned and left.

'Well that was the most awkward morning of my life,' Damon said as he slid his arms around Elena.

'Yeah,' Elena rested her cheek on Damon's chest. 'I have no idea how I feel about all of this.'

'Neither do I sweetheart,' Damon kissed her hair. 'Look, lets take Stefan's advice and get some sleep huh.'

Elena nodded and pulled away. She took a quick shower and changed into comfortable pajamas. She was in bed when Damon slipped between the covers and wrapped his arms around her. 'If you want me to sleep somewhere else.'

'Don't, I need you,' Elena clung to Damon's arms. He kissed the back of her head and forced himself to stay awake until she fell asleep.

When Elena woke it was dark outside. Damon was snoring softly behind her with his arm thrown across her waist. She slipped out of the bed easily. The upstairs were dark, but the master suite door was open. Elena peeked inside; there were books on the bedside tables and shoes by the dresser. A small pile of clothes were draped over a chair.

Her tummy growled and Elena turned towards the stairs. She padded down the well decorated stair case and examined the pieces of artwork in the hall, making enough noise that the two vampires in the kitchen would know she was there.

Klaus was sitting at the table while Stefan moved around the kitchen with a knife in his hand and a towel over his shoulder. 'Hey, you're awake,' Stefan said.

'What time is it?' Elena asked.

'One, you slept for twelve hours,' Klaus said. It was the first time he'd addressed her since he plotted to kill her. Elena pushed the negative thoughts away and reminded herself that Klaus was important to Stefan and she needed to be nice.

'Would you like something to drink?' Stefan asked.

'Just water,' Elena said. She sat away from Klaus and wrapped her arms around her body.

'I heard you moving around,' Stefan admitted. 'I hope you're okay with an omelet.'

'Sounds great,' Elena said.

'We were talking about the local coven,' Stefan said. 'They know of the Bennett line.'

'Really,' Elena said. She wished her best friend were here right now. In fact she wished both girls were here, it would make this awkward little moment that much easier.

'It's a popular line. There's a cousin who lives around here,' Klaus explained.

'Do you want fruit too?' Stefan asked as he slid the omelet onto a plate.

Elena nodded. They talked about what was going on in Mystic Falls, but Stefan didn't seem surprised by the news she told him. Clearly he was in regular contact with Caroline.

'So you guys were in Venice?' Elena asked. 'What was it like?'

Stefan screwed his nose up and Klaus rolled his eyes. 'Can you believe one of the most beautiful cities in the world and this guy doesn't like it?' Klaus shoved a thumb at Stefan.

'It smells, seriously Elena, it stinks,' Stefan said.

'It's the canals,' Klaus agreed. 'Our apartment has a fantastic view though.'

'Why were you in Venice?' Elena asked as Stefan set her plate of food down.

Klaus and Stefan shared a long look.

'It's a long story,' Stefan said. 'But we were looking for something, a formula to a virus.'

'Did you get it?' Elena asked.

'It's safely hidden away,' Klaus assured her.

'How is it?' Stefan nodded towards the plate. He was leaning against the counter.

'Good, you don't need to cook for me,' Elena said. Stefan had changed the subject again and his evasion of whatever brought her here was starting to irritate her. She just wished they'd come out and tell her what was going on.

'I like cooking,' Stefan shrugged. 'We decided not to pick up fish and chips, we'll get them later.'

'Stefan what are we doing here?' Elena sighed. 'What aren't you telling me?'

'There's a lot we aren't telling you but we will, trust me Elena,' Stefan said. He was frowning at her, and she could see he was feeling it too, this stifling tension that was brewing between them. Elena wanted rid of it but she had no idea how to do that.

'This is so awkward,' Elena sighed. 'But I do trust you.'

'Thank you,' Stefan said. 'I'm sorry, this is a shitty situation and we haven't had a chance to work our issues out.'

'It's okay,' Elena said. Stefan took her plate and put it into the dishwasher. 'I'm going to go back to bed.'

'Yeah, I think we are too,' Stefan said.

Elena nodded her head and practically ran from the room. Damon was still asleep when she slid into bed but Elena pulled his arms around her like a safety blanket and snuggled into his heat.

'Love you,' Damon muttered as he kissed her hair.

With a start Elena realized she loved Damon too.

Stefan sat up and flipped his pillow to the cold side. He tossed the duvet off his body and lay back down. A minute passed and he tugged it back over and rolled to his left. He looked at the dark room, listened to the sound of the other heartbeats in the house. It was strange, having Damon and Elena here. It was awkward and uncomfortable and Stefan just didn't know what to do to get past it.

With a grunt he flipped onto his back, then onto his right side. Klaus was glaring at him.

'Do I have to tie you down,' Klaus grumbled.

Stefan sighed. 'Sorry.'

'We should have sex, spend some of that energy bouncing around under your skin,' Klaus said. 'Or we could talk about whatever is bothering you.'

'Elena's right, there's too much tension,' Stefan said.

'Stop dancing around each other, perhaps you just need to lay everything on the table,' Klaus said.

'You're a wise man Nik,' Stefan rolled Klaus onto his back.

'You see, I don't think I get the credit I deserve,' Klaus agreed as he hooked his legs over Stefan's thighs. 'Do you want me to talk dirty?'

'I don't think you need to,' Stefan pressed a kiss to Klaus' throat.

'So if I told you to wear yourself out, use me,' Klaus nipped Stefan's ear.

'I'd call you greedy,' Stefan said as he caught Klaus' mouth with his own.

'How did you sleep?' Stefan asked as Damon padded barefoot and shirtless into the kitchen.

'Like a baby,' Damon smirked. Stefan tossed him a bag of blood and Damon bit into it gratefully. Elena was a few moments behind him. She looked around the room and smiled as she poured herself a coffee.

Klaus walked into the room in just sleep pants that hung low on his hips and a newspaper under his arm. He set it on the table, and without thinking, kissed Stefan as he passed him. He made tea, and while he was waiting for it to infuse drank a blood bag.

'So this big thing,' Damon made a face as he rocked his chair back.

'It's a bloody headache is what it is,' Klaus tossed the bag away and held his wrist up to Stefan's lips. Stefan bit into his skin and closed his eyes, enjoying the taste of Klaus' blood on his tongue.

'You feed from vampires now?' Damon frowned.

Stefan blinked and found both Damon and Elena staring.

'Just me,' Klaus said. He poured his tea and took it to the table where he spread the newspaper out. 'I taste that good.'

Damon made a face and Elena blushed a little. She poured herself a bowl of cereal and sat next to Damon.

'So,' Stefan rested his elbows on the counter. 'Who's telling this story Nik?'

'I can't be bothered, I'll just correct you when you get things wrong,' he said. Stefan was impressed with how quickly he ducked the apple Stefan tossed at his head.

'It all started in 1925 when Klaus had a bit of money to invest and science was where the money was going in the circles we ran in, so he trailed us off to Germany for a few months to visit this laboratory,' Stefan sighed and took a sip of his coffee.

'And what did this laboratory do?' Elena asked.

'Medical research, disease cures that type of thing, at least that's what we were sold,' Stefan said.

'Why am I thinking they were dishonest?' Damon asked.

'Because they were, turns out they were making a virus that would turn the infected into a flesh eating demon,' Klaus piped up.

'I thought you couldn't be bothered with the story,' Stefan tossed a grape this time.

'Stop wasting our fruit. I thought the tale could use some excitement!' Klaus smirked.

'So, what are you saying, there's a zombie virus out there?' Elena asked with a frown.

'Pretty much yes,' Klaus said.

'And you funded it,' Elena turned furious eyes to Klaus.

'We didn't know what it was at the time, Elena, that's what dishonesty is,' Stefan said. 'And besides, the main ingredient for the serum was provided by one Mr Damon Salvatore of Virginia.'

'The flower,' Damon suddenly said.

'Yes brother, the flower.' Stefan nodded.

'Well shit,' Damon said as he fiddled with the cuffs of his shirt.

'Oh we're not at the best part yet, Stefan tell them about the witch.' Klaus grinned. Stefan rubbed his face.

'We, the four of us, are involved in some prophecy,' Stefan said.

'Wait, what has this got to do with the virus?' Damon asked.

'We don't know yet, but we do know that the witch who killed the shaman who could translate part of the recipe used to belong to the coven of witches who informed us of this curse or prophecy or whatever it is,' Stefan said.

'I need a drink,' Damon got up from the table. Stefan reached into a cupboard and handed him a bottle of bourbon.

'It's going to be a long day,' Klaus agreed as he reached for the bottle.

'Can I just,' Elena shifted on her seat. 'You said you had a recipe for this virus thing?'

'Formula,' Klaus corrected her.

'Whatever, where is it?' Elena asked.

'In our bedroom,' Stefan said.

Over the next few days Stefan and Klaus answered whatever questions they could about the virus. They'd been planning on visiting the witch but her family declined their requests, the woman was frail and exhausted from their last meeting. 'We'll call you,' the witch told Stefan.

So they waited, and talked, and eventually life became less awkward. At first Klaus and Stefan had kept their hands to their selves but they were a tactile couple, touching was reassuring so they soon slipped back to hand holding and cuddling at random.

'You're cute together,' Elena said one afternoon.

'I don't think anyone's ever referred to Nik as cute,' Stefan admitted.

'You called me cute the other day,' Klaus pointed out.

'I was being sarcastic,' Stefan said. He followed up with a kiss.

Damon and Elena touched too, they were always pressed together or holding hands. Stefan was happy, Elena calmed Damon's irrational urges down and Damon forced Elena to make awkward choices. They suited each other.

'We should double date,' Elena suggested one evening.

'I don't know, Nik isn't really a double date kind of guy,' Stefan shrugged.

'Well I'm tired of sitting around, lets do something,' Elena whined.

Klaus huffed and sighed but he put on a black shirt and pouted as they left the house. Stefan was ready to pull him back inside but he resisted. Instead he walked next to his husband as they headed into the city.

Elena found a restaurant online, and Stefan had to admit it was a nice find. 'This is really good,' he said.

'There's a gin bar across the street,' Elena said.

'Now that does sound promising,' Klaus said.

The small talk was starting to come easier, and with alcohol Elena was finally relaxing. They left the restaurant after Klaus and Damon bickered over who paid the bill. 'Come on,' Stefan nudged Elena, 'let them fight.'

'Katherine,' a voice said. Stefan turned to see two men watching them. Elena shifted uncomfortably.

'You've got the wrong person,' Stefan said.

'No, I'd recognize that ass anywhere,' the other guy smirked. He reached a hand out to Elena and Stefan caught his wrist and twisted. The vampire screamed and Stefan reached out for the other one, wrapping a hand around his throat.

'I said wrong person,' Stefan said quietly. Something moved behind him and Stefan knew Klaus was there. Damon had an arm around Elena.

'Klaus,' the first vampire said.

'Well, you got one right,' Klaus said with a smile. He reached out and pulled the man forward with a snarl. The other one was still struggling to get away but Stefan didn't let him. It was easy to twist his neck and with a snap he collapsed in a heap. The other followed moments later.

'What are we going to do with them?' Stefan asked as he wiped his hands on his pants.

'They'll need to be destroyed, I don't want my enemies finding me here,' Klaus said.

Stefan nodded. Klaus pulled out his cell phone and made a call. Ten minutes later the bodies were loaded into a van. 'Don't kill them just yet, we need to know what they know,' Stefan told the driver.

'Well that was a party pooper,' Klaus said as the van drove away.

'Stefan, I knew those guys, they used to hang out in this dive bar I knew. They were both around five hundred years old, how did you overpower them so easily?' Damon said.

'Are you drinking human blood?' Elena asked. Klaus bristled and stepped forward. Stefan caught his wrist and they shared a look.

'No, I told you, I'm drinking Nik's blood,' Stefan said. 'We need to cut this short.'

'Yeah, we'll go back home,' Damon said. Neither of them looked happy.

'Damon, what's up with Stefan?' Elena asked. They were walking hand in hand through the streets.

Damon squeezed Elena's hand. 'He's Stefan.'

'He's acting different,' Elena said.

'We'll talk to him about it,' Damon said. 'Don't worry.'

'Its hard not to worry when-' Damon swung her around and dipped her back so he could kiss her. Elena laughed and let him pull her to her feet again. 'Flirt.'

'Well my night with my girl got cut short, I'm just trying to recapture it,' Damon teased. He dropped her hand and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

'It was fun, Klaus is fun when he relaxes,' Elena said. It was strange seeing her ex boyfriend and his husband together. Stefan and Klaus rarely took their eyes off each other, they seemed to be able to communicate with just the blink of an eye, and they were constantly touching. Even at dinner tonight they kept touching, holding hands, smiling at one another. Seeing them like that settled something in Elena, something that had been bugging her. Klaus was in love with Stefan, he adored Stefan and Stefan felt the same way. It hurt a tiny bit, Elena would be lying if she said it didn't, but knowing that Stefan was happy made her easier with the situation.

'They're good for each other,' Damon broke into her thoughts. 'But enough about them, lets talk about us. Shall we salsa in the kitchen?'

Elena laughed and followed Damon to the front door of their house. Once inside Damon took her in his arms and they danced from room to room, swaying their hips. By the time they got upstairs they were chasing a different rhythm. Damon's kisses were hot and wet and Elena arched into him begging for more.

They tumbled onto the bed in a fit of giggles but Damon pulled away, his eyes searching Elena's face.

'Do you know how much I love you?' he whispered.

'Show me,' Elena pleaded as she slipped a hand up his back.

Damon did.

'The witch will see us today,' Klaus said as he set a large wicker basket of oranges on the counter.

'Finally,' Damon sighed.

'I just want to warn you both, she's very frail. She's been alive for over one thousand years, and she's been aging slowly. You need to be patient with her,' Stefan said.

'They may ask a gift of you both,' Klaus said.

'What like?' Elena asked.

'Blood, as we know the blood of a doppleganger is a much sought after commodity,' Klaus smiled.

Stefan smacked Klaus on the ass. 'Behave,' he teased. Elena expected Klaus to roar at Stefan but instead he almost blushed. That was strange.

They filed out and walked a few blocks to the house, Klaus with the wicker basket of oranges over his arm. The woman who greeted them this time was different. She introduced herself as Mary, which hadn't happened before, and was busy wrapping her long hair into a messy bun as she led them inside.

'Grannie's been talking about ye non stop ye know,' she said as she took the basket of oranges from Klaus with a smile. She gave him a wink and set the basket down. Klaus shot a grin at Stefan who rolled his eyes playfully.

'She left an impression on us too,' Stefan said. Mary lifted two mugs and handed them to Damon and Elena. She took Elena's hand.

'You ever cut yourself before?' She asked bluntly. Elena shook her head. The witch sliced into Elena's wrist and Elena hissed but the woman was strong and kept Elena's blood dripping into the cup. 'Thank you.' She said when she had enough.

Damon bit into his own wrist again to reopen his wound and let Elena drink his blood to heal her.

They followed Mary down the hallway, and Elena took Damon's hand as she caught sight of the frail woman who'd been alive for over a thousand years. She held her shock inside as the old woman smiled at Stefan and Klaus.

'Oh you brought her, I've always wanted to see your beautiful face again,' the witch said. A tear fell from her eye.

'Hello,' Elena said. She sat next to Damon on one of the tiny couches set up for them.

'And you Niklaus, you brought me oranges, I can smell them,' she said.

'I searched for the best in the city,' Klaus said gently. 'Only the best.'

'You should be sincere more often, it makes you more beautiful,' she said. There was silence for a moment. 'It lets others see what Stefan already knows is there.'

Mary passed them and placed a log on the fire.

'Soul mates are rare things,' the witch began. 'They don't always get it right. Sometimes the soul can be manipulated by nature, just as Elena and Stefan were. That manipulation can be broken, because this time around, there's already a soul mate for both of you, and it's not each other.'

Elena turned to see Stefan looking at her. He smiled and she smiled back.

'Many years ago one of my girls took herself off in a flight of fancy to America,' the witch sighed. 'She was a gifted girl, she stood out. She was searching for something that she had seen in a dream. She found it in Chicago, in you two. Aisling, or as she introduced herself to you, Ashley, married you both, and she used a terribly complicated spell, a spell that tested you. A soul bind won't work unless the parties are soul mates, true soul mates. They're rare, soul mates, typically one soul mate dies centuries before the other is born. As luck would have it you two were made immortal, so she bound the soul mates. You.'

'I-' Stefan turned to look at Klaus who shrugged, but they caught each other by the hand.

'It's a good thing,' Mary piped up from behind them. 'It makes you more powerful together. I'm sure now that the last of Niklaus' curses have been lifted from him you're noticing it. The more fluids you share, the stronger Stefan becomes.'

Elena felt her cheeks heat up at the implication and she looked at her feet. Beside her Damon was staring at the other couch.

'Are you saying he's siphoning my strength?' Klaus asked.

'No, the soul bind, the lifted curses, you're duplicating it,' Mary said.

'And you two,' the witch turned to Damon and Elena. 'Someday you'll search out the same thing. Immortality together is a gift, and you may not be ready now Elena, but you will be, mark my words. You'll be soul bound, I know it in my bones, and you'll be strong together.'

'Now for the real reason you're here,' Mary said. 'My Aunt Pat was in Thailand, then she was in Russia. Now she's in America.'

'She was chasing a formula,' Stefan said.

'Aye, we know,' Mary said. 'My Aunt Pat fell in with a bad lot in the forties, even now she has this twisted desire to end humanity as we know it.'

'How can you track her?' Klaus asked.

'She was me mam's twin, she killed me mam back in the fifties but me mam left me something that would mean I could track Pat,' Mary said.

Elena looked at the woman in front of her, she seemed to be no more than twenty, but her mother was killed sixty years ago.

'Can you read the formula?' Stefan asked.

'I might be able to,' Mary said.

Stefan stared at Klaus for a long moment. 'How do we know we can trust you?' Klaus asked eventually.

'If this virus is unleashed imagine the carnage,' Mary said. 'I have grandkids running around out there, I want this world to survive.'

'I don't have the formula itself, but I have a picture of the formula,' Stefan offered. He opened his cell phone and handed it to Mary.

'So this formula, it creates the virus and that could end the world as we know it?' Elena shifted on her seat.

'That's right,' the witch said.

'And if they can create it how do we stop it?' Elena asked.

'You can't my dear, you just weather the storm and try and make sure there's something to come out at the other end,' the witch said sadly. 'There's a witch, a powerful one, who can reverse it with her own unique blood magic and a spell.'

'Well we'll find her and ask her to help. Where is she?' Elena said eagerly.

'Oh flower, she hasn't been born yet,' the old witch said.

Elena sighed and slumped into the sofa.

'But you, on the other hand, you're special, you and that vampire of yours. You're their anchor Elena, you're their humanity. Hold on to it, hold tight, and remind them of it. Elena you did it, you four did it, you don't know it yet but you broke the curse of the dopplegangers because you can be together but be with your soul mates. It's most incredible.'

'Thank you,' Elena said. The woman smiled at them, and her eyes drooped.

'Its time to go,' Mary said.

They said their goodbyes and stood to follow Mary out of the house.

'Where in America is your aunt anyway?' Damon asked Mary as she opened the door.

'A town in Virginia called Mystic Falls,' Mary said.

'Oh shit.'

'I hate Mystic Falls,' Klaus complained as he paced their bedroom. Stefan was lying back on the bed with his hand behind his head.

'We have to go back Nik,' Stefan said softly. Klaus tossed himself on the bed next to Stefan. 'I'll be with you, don't be afraid.' Stefan teased. Klaus glared at him.

'That witch said fluids, not just blood,' Klaus reached out and ran a hand over Stefan's hip.

'Maybe she meant blood,' Stefan said but his fingers were teasing the buttons on Klaus' shirt.

'I'll need to speak with Elijah,' Klaus screwed his nose up.

Stefan smiled and pulled him close for a kiss. Klaus sat up and removed his shirt, Stefan did the same and then he was tugging Klaus on top of him. Klaus scraped his teeth on Stefan's neck then soothed it with a gentle kiss, he kissed down Stefan's neck to his shoulder and nipped teasingly. 'Do it,' Stefan said. Klaus smirked as his fangs descended, then bit.

Stefan could feel the werewolf venom coursing through his body. He arched up to Klaus as Klaus took his fill then he was kissing across Stefan's chest to lick at his nipple. Stefan tangled his fingers in Klaus' hair and pulled him up for a kiss. 'Do you like it? Knowing that the venom is burning your veins?'

'Yes,' Stefan said as he hooked a leg around Klaus'. Klaus reared back and reached for the button on his pants. He removed first his own, then Stefan's and was back on top of him in seconds. He rolled them again and Stefan hovered over him. He already looked pale, the bite was red and ugly, pulsing on his shoulder.

'Aren't you going to cure yourself?' Klaus asked.

'Not yet,' Stefan kissed his way down Klaus' chest. He had just hooked his fingers into the waistband of Klaus' shorts when there was a knock at the door.

'What?' Klaus hollered as Stefan got up. He opened the door and found Elena on the other side.

'Oh, I'm sorry I- Stefan what happened?' Elena pushed her way into the room when she saw the wound on Stefan's neck.

'Elena,' Stefan caught her arms.

'Did you do this?' She shot an accusing glare at Klaus. Klaus rolled his eyes and reached for his pants.

'Elena, its okay,' Stefan said as he tried to usher her out of the room.

'No, it's not,' Elena said. 'This could kill you.'

'It won't,' Stefan said.

'It's a werewolf bite, Stefan I watched Rose die from the same type of bite,' Elena said. 'You remember this don't you.'

'Nik's blood is the cure,' Stefan explained.

Elena frowned at them both. 'I don't understand, why would he do it in the first place and why hasn't he cured you?'

Klaus let out a growl behind them and Stefan sighed but Elena was too persistent to drop it.

'I like it, okay, it's a turn on,' Stefan said. He watched Elena open and close her mouth a few times as the blush rose up her neck to her cheeks.

'I'm sorry,' Elena bit her lip.

'There was an exceptional reason for you disturbing us I hope,' Klaus snarled. Stefan turned and pulled his pants on.

'Mary is downstairs,' Elena said. She turned and hurried from the room.

Klaus watched her go then turned to Stefan. Stefan shrugged and pecked Klaus on the lips. 'This will have to wait,' Stefan said as he bit into Klaus' neck. Klaus wrapped his arms around Stefan and stroked his back as Stefan took his cure and his fill.

'I've got a translation here,' Mary passed the page she'd been working from to Klaus.

'Thank you, we appreciate this,' Stefan said.

'So what now?' Damon asked.

'Well we collected your blood. Granny'll do one last spell using it. It'll keep you safe for a time. I have this,' she reached into her bag and pulled out a large book. 'I've copied some spells into it, Granny asked that you give this to your witches, again protection spells and the likes. I'm sorry we couldn't do more.'

'You've done a lot already,' Elena said.

'If you ever need anything, I'm a phone call away,' Mary said kindly. 'Granny will get her peace now.'

'How so?' Klaus asked.

'She'll be able to die, she's sacrificed so much, for a thousand years she's watched her descendent's die and she's been stuck here,' Mary said. 'Thank you, all of you, for granting her what she has always longed for.'

'No thank you,' Klaus reached for Mary's hand and shook it. 'Typically witches are our enemies.'

'How can she condemn what she helped create, that would be the worst type of hypocrisy,' Mary smiled.

After she left Stefan leafed through the book then handed it to Elena.

'I suppose we should make plans to return to Mystic Falls,' Klaus said softly.

'Hey, it's going to be fine,' Stefan said. 'I believe it.'

'I hope you're right baby brother,' Damon said.

'This is going to be a disaster,' Klaus said as he took his seat on the plane.

Stefan squeezed his hand. Damon and Elena were sitting in front of them and Stefan could already feel the tension; it hadn't left since Elena barged into their bedroom yesterday.

'No, it won't. We'll find whomever is making this virus, we'll eliminate them, we'll go back on the road,' Stefan said.

'You don't want to stay in Mystic Falls?' Klaus asked. He looked genuinely surprised.

'All I want is to be with you. I'm sick of wasting our time together Nik, I'm sick of it not working out, so this time we do whatever it takes, therapy, couples retreats, time alone, time with friends and family. Whatever it takes,' Stefan pressed his lips to Klaus'. Across the isle from them a man clicked his tongue. Stefan raised an eyebrow but the man turned away.

'I'll have his lungs,' Klaus muttered darkly. Stefan gave him a look. 'I'll imagine having his lungs.'

'Better,' Stefan said. They watched the safety demonstration and then Klaus shifted down in his seat intending to sleep, but Stefan was feeling playful. As soon as they were in the air and the seatbelt signs were off he took a turn around the first class cabin, compelling everyone to ignore them, including the air crew. Then, he sat next to Klaus and lifted Klaus' knuckles to his lips.

'What's going on?' Klaus muttered.

'Whatever it takes,' Stefan reminded his husband. He pulled Klaus to his feet and led him to the toilet cubicle.

'This is cozy,' Klaus said but he was already unbuttoning his jeans.

'It is,' Stefan turned Klaus so he was gripping the edge of the small sink. He managed to get their pants down to mid thigh, and their boxer shorts followed. Klaus was still loose from their morning sex so Stefan pressed two, then three fingers inside. 'It's been too long since you've fucked me Nik,' Stefan whispered as he opened Klaus up.

'Too late now,' Klaus said as he watched Stefan slick his cock in the mirror.

'Admit it, you prefer to bottom because it means you don't have as much work to do,' Stefan nipped Klaus' ear.

'I prefer to bottom because you have a big cock and I'm a closet size queen,' Klaus said.

Stefan grinned and turned Klaus' face so he could kiss him. He pushed inside Klaus as they stood and when he bottomed out they both sighed against each other. There wasn't much room to move but Stefan made it work, pulling his hips back and snapping them forward again. He set a brutal pace and jerked Klaus in time with his own thrusts. 'Do you want to come in here or would you rather I suck you off in the cabin?'

Klaus groaned and let his head fall back onto Stefan's shoulder. He locked eyes with Stefan in the mirror. His lips were parted and his cheeks were flushed. He looked wrecked, and Stefan knew he would last much longer.

'Nik,' Stefan prompted.

'Cabin,' he muttered.

'Filthy,' Stefan nipped Klaus' ear. He removed his hand from Klaus' dick and gripped his hips as he slammed in again and again. He came with a grunt and a pull of blood from Klaus' neck.

Klaus slumped forward and took Stefan's weight. 'You're killing me here.'

Stefan pressed a kiss to Klaus' neck and pulled back. He used tissues to clean them up as best he could and tucked himself away. 'I hate that you're still hard. I feel so guilty.'

'Don't,' Klaus said as he turned. 'I'm looking forward to my public blow job.'

'I'm looking forward to giving it sweetheart,' Stefan said. They kissed again and then, hand in hand, walked back to their seats.

No one except for Damon and Elena noticed, and their eyes stayed glued to the books in their hands.

'Bathroom's free if you want to join the club,' Klaus said with a grin. Stefan saw a blush creep up Elena's neck but something flickered in Damon's jaw and it made Stefan smile.

Elena was shocked; she couldn't believe that they had just fucked a few feet from a cabin full of people, then offered them the use of the same toilet cubicle. She daren't look at Damon, she knew he would be rolling his eyes and getting all judgmental. Or worse, he would want to take his turn.

Elena focused on the words on the page in front of her and tried to forget what she saw. The witches journal sat on her lap, and Elena looked again at the symbols and the yellow post it notes with Klaus' scrawl on it. Something about the translation was bugging her. Elena decided to get over his discomfort and turned around to ask Stefan about the translation.

Stefan was bent over, and his blond head was bobbing in Klaus' lap. Klaus had his eyes closed and his head thrown back. His fingers were in Stefan's hair and Stefan's hand seemed to be between Klaus' legs somehow.

Elena twisted back in her seat and stared straight ahead. Damon turned a concerned gaze on her but Elena didn't respond to him, she was too shocked at what was going on. Stefan had turned into some sort of lust monster who couldn't keep his hands off Klaus. They were halfway through the flight when she realized it didn't bother her at all; Elena was totally over Stefan.

Mystic Falls was quiet when they drove through it. Damon frowned across the car at them. 'Somethings not right,' he said.

'I concur,' Klaus said. 'Let me out.'

Damon stopped the car and Klaus and Stefan got out. Damon drove a few feet before she noticed it. There was nobody about. It wasn't terribly late, just after midnight. Damon pulled the car in next to Liz Forbes car. They headed inside and found the place practically deserted.

'Damon,' Liz said when they stepped into her office. 'We have one hell of a problem.'

'Yeah, what's going on?' Damon asked.

'Twenty seven people have died from some virus in the last day,' Liz said.

'Oh shit,' Damon said.

'We have no idea what it is. There's a curfew in effect and the hospital is on lock down. Do you have any idea what's going on?'

Elena swallowed and looked at Damon.

'Lets just say its the dawn of the walking dead,' Damon grimaced. Elena wrapped her arms around her body and looked out.

They were too late, humanity was doomed.