A/N: Thank you so much for the reviews and follows! So sorry this update has taken so long. Hope you guys like the new chapter :)

Chapter 2

"What the fuck were you doing over there, Elena?!"

Elena sighed. She knew she should've just ran over here sooner. Now Klaus was all pissed off.

"I was talking with an old friend." Elena replied lowly. She really hated when he made spectacles like this.

Klaus shot daggers at her. "Why?"

Elena started to feel some of the anger from before come back. "Maybe because I felt like it." She rolled her eyes and turned away from him. "Geez, Klaus.."

Elena suddenly felt her arm get grabbed very painfully by Klaus. "Ow!" She yelled. "Klaus, let go of me now!"

Klaus tightened his grip and she whimpered as he got right up in her face. "When I'm talking to you, you don't just turn away!" He raged at her, practically shaking her as he got in her face. "You got that?!"

Elena nodded, tears entering her eyes. "Klaus, please..." She whimpered. "You're hurting me."

"Good!" Klaus yelled, as he yanked her even closer to him. "Maybe that's what you need. It's the only way you ever fucking listen to me anymore!"

"I'm sorry," Elena whimpered, tears rolling down her face. "I'm sorry, Klaus."

Klaus's face was menacing. "You better be fucking sorry,"

Suddenly Klaus was torn away from Elena and was violently thrown to the ground.

Elena looked over and her face crumpled at who she saw. "Stefan,"

Elena put a hand over her mouth. She was beyond humiliated. She never wanted Stefan to know about any of the stuff that went on with her and Klaus.

Stefan shot Klaus (who was still on the ground) a look that could kill. "You better not ever put your fucking hands on my best friend like that again, or I'll show you sorry."

Klaus smirked completely unfazed as he pushed himself up off of the ground. "Saved by the guy you're fucking on the side, huh Elena?"

Elena was mortified. "We're not..."

Stefan quickly stepped in. "You don't have to answer that, Elena." As far as he was concerned after the cruel way he'd just seen this asshole treat Elena, she didn't have to tell him a fucking thing.

Elena turned to Stefan. "Thank you for your help but I think you should go,"

Stefan nodded. "Okay, come on." He gently took her arm, and she stepped back.

"No," Elena shook her head. "I think you should go. I need to talk to my boyfriend alone."

Stefan gave her an incredulous look. "I am not leaving you alone with this punk, Elena."

"He's not a punk," Elena whispered.

"Maybe you should mind your own fucking business. Don't tell me how to treat my girlfriend." Klaus cut in, as he grabbed Elena's arm. "Lets go."

Stefan stepped in and shoved Klaus back, stepping in front of Elena protectively. "Maybe she doesn't wanna go with you!"

"Stefan, please." Elena pleaded from behind him. "Just get out here, alright?"

"I'm not leaving you alone with him, Elena." Stefan replied firmly. "Not gonna happen."

"You want me to fucking kick your ass?!" Klaus yelled getting right up in Stefan's face.

Stefan laughed amused. "You kick my ass? Oh, come on punk! I'd love to see you try!"

Elena ran a hand through her hair in frustration. "Damn it, Stefan!" She screamed as she pushed against his back with her tiny fists. "Just get out of here! I want you to go! Just leave us alone!"

"I already told you, I'm not leaving you here with this piece of shit, Elena!" Stefan yelled back at her, starting to get slightly pissed at her for even thinking he would. "It's not happening, so quit asking."

Stefan had his back turned to Klaus, when he momentarily turned to Elena, and Klaus took that opportunity to grab him by the shoulders, throwing him off, and punched him.

"Klaus!" Elena yelled. "What the hell is wrong with you?!"

"I think somebody said come kick my ass," Stefan laughed, wiping blood off of his face, before charging at Klaus knocking him to the ground as a struggle ensued.

"Oh God!" Elena screamed. "Stop it!"

Klaus had pulled Stefan up and had him against the bulletin board.

Elena ran over to them. "Klaus, let him go now!"

Elena moved to get in between them, but Stefan instantly placed a hand out, as he firmly yelled at Elena out of fear for her. "Don't! Do not go anywhere near him, Elena! You just stay back!"

Elena, however was stubborn and she didn't listen. She grabbed Klaus's arm, and in his rage, he flung her backwards and she fell to the ground hard.

"Elena!" Stefan screamed in fear, but Elena just laid motionless on the ground. If she wasn't ok because she'd been trying to interfere for him, he'd never forgive himself. "Oh God, Elena you've gotta be ok," He painfully whispered to himself.

Klaus turned around annoyed, not the least bit concerned that his girlfriend could be hurt. "Elena, get off your as-"

It was that asshole's absolute carelessness for a girl that all Stefan wanted to do was protect that pushed him over the edge. Stefan grabbed him, and they struggled as Stefan flung him against the bulletin board, and punched him in the jaw, both his hands going around his throat and beginning to squeeze the life out of him. "Did I not fucking tell you I'd make you sorry if you touched her again?!" He yelled, as he continued to squeeze his throat. "Huh?!"

Elena started to come to, and she slowly stood up. "Stefan, I'm alright," She said softly, but firmly. "just let him go."

"Thank God you're okay," Stefan felt instant relief at her voice. If she hadn't been okay, he probably would've strangled Klaus to death. "Elena, just stay back! I mean it, this time. I won't have you get hurt for me."

"Stefan!" Elena yelled. "Let go of my boyfriend now!"

Stefan let go of him, and Klaus fell to the ground weakened from nearly being strangled to death.

Stefan turned around and gave Elena a stunned look. "Boyfriend? You're not seriously telling me he's still your boyfriend after this, are you?!"

Elena took a deep breath. "Stefan, I know you're just trying to protect me, but you don't know what's going on, okay?"

She didn't care about what anyone thought of her, except for Stefan that is. His opinion of her was like God's. That's how much she valued Stefan's thoughts about her. That's why she'd hated that he'd saw any of this.

Stefan let out a strangled laugh. "I don't know what's going on? Come off it, Elena. I saw this guy holding your arm quite tightly, I'm sure it's got a bruise. I heard you. I heard you tell him he was hurting you."

Elena ran a hand over her face. "Stefan, this isn't what you think it is!"

"Really?" Stefan retorted. "What do you think I think this is, Elena?"

Elena saw the judgment in his eyes and she almost fell apart from it. "You think that I'm in some kind of abusive relationship, right?"

Stefan let out a short laugh. She always had cut to the chase with him. "I think you're on your way there, if you continue with him, yes."

"I know you haven't seen the best of Klaus today, but,"

Stefan laughed again, but it held no humor. "The best? Well, ya got that right Elena.."

"You're wrong, Stefan." Elena insisted. "Klaus is not like that, okay? He loves me and I love him!"

Stefan laughed bitterly. "You're not actually gonna stand there and tell me what I just saw transpire between you two is love, are you?" He ran a hand over his face. "Elena, he threw you to the ground without a single thought to your welfare! He didn't even give a damn that you could be hurt!"

Elena shook her head, vigorously. "No! That's not true! He loves me!"

Stefan walked closer to Elena, his face held compassion but he was still firm. "That's the second time you've said that to me today, Elena. I have to ask…who are you trying to convince of that, me or yourself?"

Klaus started to come to, and stood up, holding his throat. "Elena."

The moment was broken and Elena turned away from Stefan, intent on going to Klaus.

"Klaus!" Elena felt relief that he was okay. "Baby, I'm so sorry, I-"

"Oh, you've gotta be kidding me!" Stefan yelled in frustration. He didn't know which part irked him more. The part where Elena was calling that asshole baby after he'd violently thrown her to the ground with a thought to her welfare or the part where she was actually apologizing to him as if she'd done something to him that needed apologizing for.

"Stay here, do whatever the fuck you want with your new boy toy, okay?" Klaus spat harshly. "I don't give a damn." He turned and limped away.

"Klaus!" Elena shouted after him, tears springing to her eyes. She moved to follow him. "Wait!"

Stefan gently placed a hand on her arm. "Elena, you shouldn't-"

"Shut up!" Elena yelled at him, focusing her anger on him. "I told you to go! You should've just minded your own damn business! This is all your fault!" She shoved him. "I didn't need a babysitter!"

Stefan was incredulous. What the hell was going on? This was not the girl he'd known nearly his entire life. The girl he knew would never take this crap and would certainly never treat him this way for standing up for her.

"What? My fault? You expect me to just leave you alone with someone who treats you like that?!" Stefan retorted. "Elena, come on. This is not you, ok? You're my best friend. I love you. I just worry about you, and you deserve way better than that guy!"

Elena glared at him. "Well, don't alright?! Don't worry about me! I can take care of myself and I can handle Klaus! It was a stupid fight, alright?! That's what couples do, they fight."

Stefan laughed again. "You're right. Couples do fight. And I've had my share of them with every girl I've ever dated, but I have never ever put my hands on them or talked to them the way Klaus did to you! That's not love, Elena. That's not a relationship! That's a fucking...that's fucking slavery! He thinks he owns you!"

Elena shook her head, tears springing to her eyes even as she realized the truth in those words. She couldn't admit it, wouldn't admit it.

"It was my fault, alright?!" She yelled. "I'm the one who started it, so just do me a favor from now on and just fucking stay out of it! I don't need a damn protector!" Elena than, took off running, her intention to find Klaus.

Stefan sighed. "Yes, you do Elena. A protector is exactly what you need."

He watched her retreating figure, and ran a hand through his hair in frustration. "Well, that went well."