I Need To Come Back

You fall back onto the same old ways
But those were darker days you found
But still you go
It must be important to you
It must feel like nothing at all
When you're desperate for something to prove
You've just got a little further to fall

-Further To Fall by Dan Craig

His heart was pumping, his legs carried him through the forest. His arms violently breaking branches out of his way as he sprinted. He could hear it, smell it. His mouth watered. He needed it, he wanted it. Increasing his speed and closing in on his targeted prey. He attacked; his fangs broke the skin and sunk into the neck of a curly haired brunette woman. Her screams sounded muffled to him as he drank her blood. He could hear her blood pumping and he felt her breaths become smaller until her heart beat became stilled and finally stopped. He drank her dry, he had emptied her. He had killed her. What had he become? How could he let himself become this? You did it to save Damon. The voice in the shadows of his mind tells him. Klaus made you like this. He made you become who you really are, a reaper. But, the voice said, you enjoy it. You enjoy the feeling, the sensation. You enjoy the killing. You've finally accepted what you are, and all those silly foolish things you told Caroline, about not giving into it and fighting it. They are a lie. When you feel the blood rush in, you don't fight it or bury it, you go for the attack, you kill it. And that's exactly what you've been doing. That's exactly what Klaus has reminded you, and you thank him for it. But wait do you really want this? Do you really want him to have this hanging over you? No, you need to come back. You need to get yourself back on track. You need to wean yourself off of it. It will be hard and you'll want to give in but you shouldn't. You persevere. And...and...He smelt it. It hangs in the air as the remnants of it dry around his mouth. He dropped the hold he had on the brunette and he hears her limp body thud to the forest floor. His feet are moving him and he breaks off into a vampire run. His feet deciding where he goes and not his mind. The scent of it, leading him to another victim, another kill.

He sees it, a flash of blonde hair and he's off faster in that direction; ready to sink his teeth into her flesh. He targets his prey and jumps to attack her, his eyes red, and fangs contracted, ready to bite, ready to drain another poor girl dry. Another girl with a family, a family who will be looking for her. So many lives, he's taken so many lives. As he tilts her head to the side, to allow himself better access to her neck, a sound catches his attention. Footsteps. And then her scent wanders and climbs up into his nostrils. It can't be? It's impossible. How did she find him? He's been through so many different towns, states. He's killed so many people; his scent probably still lingers on their bodies. How could she have found him? Once he had separated from Klaus, he had made sure to cover his tracks. In case Klaus ever tried to find him again. How did she find him? She emerged from the trees, her face more beautiful than ever, her blonde hair shining in the rays of sun.

"Stefan?"

His eyes looked up from the girl's neck and met hers. His mouth ajar and fangs showing, he didn't look himself. She rushed over to him.

"Stefan." She said again. Her voice was calm.

His eyes were still locked with hers as he moved his mouth closer to the girl's neck and sunk his teeth in, and began to drink from her.

"Stefan, stop." Her voice calm and firm. "Stop."

She placed both hands on his arms and tried pushing him away.

"Stefan, stop! This isn't you!"

She broke him away and the girl's limp body, which fell to the leafy ground. Another body down. Check.

"This isn't you, this isn't you." She murmured.

She rubbed his face as his erratic breathing slowed and his eyes returned to normal, along with his fangs receding. He stared at her, his breathing still a little heavy.

"Breathe, one, two, three, breathe."

He obeyed and his breathing finally returned to normal.

"Caroline?"

She nodded.

"Wh-how?"

"I followed you a while back. Just after you had split with Klaus. I waited for the right time to intervene." She shrugged. "Looks like I found it."

He shook his head as he pushed her away from him. "Get away from me! Caroline I could hurt you."

She swiftly moved closer to him again. "No, you can't. Stefan, you can't hurt me, you won't."

In one hastily blur Stefan had pushed her against a tree with great force. His hands dug into her arms, his eyes red and fangs making themselves known.

"I can hurt you." He growled as he pressed his body against hers, and increased the grip on her arms. "And I will hurt you." His voice was low.

He moved his head to the side and in a blur he connected his mouth with her neck. She didn't scream. She pushed him back and off of her. Now she was angry. Caroline ran at him and pinned him to the ground, her eyes red and her fangs showing.

"Stop it." She growled.

Stefan growled and pushed himself up off the ground and had her against the forest floor.

"No." He sneered.

Caroline used her strength and rolled them so that she was on top.

"Fine, you leave me no choice." She leaned down and sunk her teeth into his neck.

Stefan let out an agonized groan, before his breathing increased. Caroline removed her mouth from his neck and wiped the remnants of blood. Her eyes turned normal and her fangs disappeared.

"Say that you'll come with me." She asked, still straddling his chest. "Come back with me. Please, Stefan I need you to come back."

His breathing had subdued. He looked into her eyes and realized how foolish he was for leaving with Klaus. How dumb of him to not think of his friend, his best friend, Caroline.

He nodded. "Okay."

"Really?"

Stefan nodded again.

"Okay, great."

She got off of him and helped him up.

"We can go back to Mystic Falls? Everyone's gone for awhile. They all had to get away."

He nodded. "Alright, we can go home."

Caroline nodded and with that they took off in a sprint. They ran for what seemed like days, weeks until they finally saw the boarding house come into view. They stopped briefly to catch their breath. Caroline looked up the driveway before glancing at Stefan. She had to lock him up, she had to help him.

"Caroline, let's go."

She nodded. "You go ahead, I-I'll meet you inside."

Stefan took a step closer to her, and placed his hand on her arm, his eyebrows knitted together. "Are you sure?"

Caroline nodded. "Yeah, yeah, go ahead."

He slowly nodded and sprinted up the driveway. Now alone Caroline let out a tired sigh. I need to help him. I'll have to lock him up in the cellar down in the basement. I need to do this for him, after everything that he's done for me. I owe it to him. She took off up the driveway and entered the boarding house.

"Stefan?" She called as she turned the corner.

"Hmm?"

She saw him sitting on the couch. "Can you come with me? I need to show you something."

He nodded and rose from the couch. "Yeah sure. What is it?"

She reached for his hand and led him towards the stairs that led to the basement.

"Why are we going down here?"

"Trust me won't you?"

He nodded. She turned the corner with Stefan following.

"What is it you wanted to show me?"

"Stefan-" She brought him in front of her. "I'm so sorry."

"For what? Care what are you-"

She cut him off by pushing him backward and slamming the cellar door closed.

"For this. I'm sorry Stefan." She turned the lock. "But you need this. You'll thank me later."

She gave him a tight smile before turning and walking back up the stairs. Not looking back, not even once.