Chapter 2: Fatal Attraction

"OK, so let's go over this one more time." Alaric started as he ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. He had been sitting in the living room of the Boarding House for over an hour trying to comprehend exactly what was going on and Elena's…selective information was starting to wear on him.

"You said you had a nightmare and when you woke up, your necklace was gone?" He continued, looking over to the chair where Elena sat.

"Yes, I woke up and didn't feel right and when I reached down, it was gone." She said as she reached down and touched the skin of her throat where her necklace had once lain.

Elena heard a sarcastic laugh come from the other side of the room. She turned and saw Damon as he walked into the room. He had a smirk on his face and was shaking his head.

"Let's cut the crap Elena. Why don't you tell Ric exactly your dream was about." He said as he moved quickly toward the bar.

"I don't really remember." She said quietly. Damon's laugh boomed through the room as he poured himself a drink.

"Oh come on Elena. Now is not the time to be shy. Tell Ric about the dream…or I will." He said sharply as he looked up from his glass. Elena turned and looked at him in disbelief.

"What do you mean or you will? How do you know anything about what happened last night?" She asked half in defense and half in curiosity. Damon smiled and moved over to where she and Alaric sat.

"Elena, last night you didn't have a dream or nightmare or whatever you have been calling it. Instead we were both mind fucked by the amazing Klaus himself." He said condescendingly as he waved his hand in the air.

"You mean you had the same…" Elena stopped midway through her sentence. Suddenly it all made sense. She remembered the words that Klaus had spoken to her the night before.

"My my Elena, what a dirty mind you must be harboring up in that pretty little head of yours." He had said when Damon had appeared. She swallowed hard, having a dream about Klaus was one thing, but now knowing that she had let not only him, but also Damon into her mind scared her.

"I thought it was just a dream." She said quietly. Damon laughed lightly and then sat in the chair across from her and met her gaze. The smiled faded from his lips as his eyes bore into her.

"Is that why you gave in to him Elena? You thought it was just a dream so no big deal, right? Or did you do it for some other reason Elena? Did you like the way his century old dead fingers felt on your skin? Please enlighten me Elena, because I would love to know the reason behind why you totally fucked everything up last night!" Damon yelled as he slammed his tumbler down on the end table. Elena sat back and suddenly felt herself begin to shake.

"Damon you are being ridiculous. I thought it was a dream." She said without meeting his eyes. Alaric looked between them as he tried to put together exactly what was going on. Finally, he let out a sigh as he stood.

"OK, well this whole secret dream thing is really fun, but does someone want to clue me in on what the hell is going on?" He asked suddenly realizing he needed a drink and making his way over to the bar. Damon leaned back in his chair and an evil grin spread across his face.

"Oh Elena, let me tell him please. Now, I cannot speak for whatever happened before I was roped into this sick puppet show. However, the parts I was so lucky to be a part of went somewhere along the lines of Elena allowing Klaus to compel her until she was a weak child in his creepy arms and then allowing him to sink his thousand year old fangs into her. Did I miss anything Elena?" Damon asked sarcastically. Elena looked at him and then looked down.

"He didn't compel me." She said in a small voice. Damon and Alaric both turned to look at her at the same time. Elena could feel their intense stares boring into her. She was too afraid to look up and meet their judgment.

"Excuse me?" Was all that Damon could manage to get out of his mouth as fire flamed through his mind.

"I mean, at least I don't think he compelled me. It all felt so real and I still remember everything so clearly." She said softly. Alaric ran his hands over his face.

"OK, so what I am getting here is that Klaus got into both your heads and thus stole Elena's necklace leaving her open to all the mind control one ancient vampire can enjoy. That about cover it?" He asked through gritted teeth.

"Oh, but you left out the best part Ric. She let him fucking do it!" Damon yelled as he threw his glass into the fire. The sound of bursting glass exploded through the room and jolted Elena from her seat.

"Listen here Damon! I don't know where you get off acting all high and mighty because if I remember correctly you weren't exactly battling for the greater good either!" She screamed. Damon stood and walked back towards the bar.

"I don't know what you are talking about Elena." He said sharply as he went to find another glass.

"Oh, now you don't remember, Damon? Let me refresh your memory for you. Stefan was holding onto me so I couldn't move, planning to do God knows what and you just stood there! You just stood there Damon!" She screamed. Damon looked at her.

"Well Stefan was there too, wonderful. Sounds like a party. Seriously though, you two do realize you are arguing over a dream, right?" Alaric interrupted. Elena held her gaze on Damon and didn't budge.

"What did you want me to do Elena, one of us were under compulsion. That is the only way he could get to me. Some of us aren't as…easy." He said coldly as he took a long drink of bourbon. Elena narrowed her eyes.

"So you are angry with me because I am not stronger than the oldest vampire in the world? Well Damon, I have news for you, I'm eighteen and human. What's your excuse?" She asked in a huff as she glared across the room into him.

"Elena you gave yourself to him. You didn't even put up a fight. Now that he knows you are weak he is not going to stop. This is just the beginning for him. You just gave him a new game to play and Klaus doesn't stop until he wins…and he always wins Elena." Damon said in a hushed voice. Elena looked down.

"I just felt…" She trailed off. Telling Damon how she really felt would not exactly help the situation she was in. She knew he would forgive her for being weak, but he would never forgive her for being willing.

"OK, so what exactly does all this mean?" Alaric asked, obviously confused by the whole situation.

"It means that now Klaus knows that Elena is alive and he knows that she is weak. He now understands why his minions are all retarded and dying and such. And since he knows that, he is going to be coming for her and it is going to get really ugly, really fast." Damon said as he ran his hands over his mouth and then let out a sigh. Elena stood and paced nervously in front of the fire place.

"Then why didn't he just kill me last night then? Obviously he had the chance. Why is he dragging it out?" Elena asked. Damon shook his head and smiled.

"Because he wants you come to him Elena. He wants you to give yourself to him and then he can have the grand theatrical close to this whole production he's been planning his entire life." Damon said as he stood.

"Well then he is just going to have to keep waiting and keep planning, because I am not giving in to anyone, anytime soon." She said in a strong and confident voice as she moved closer to Damon. Damon looked sideways at her and raised one of his eyebrows.

"You sure about that, oh warrior princess?" He asked with a slight uncomfortable edge to his voice. Elena nodded and smiled, but deep down terror raged inside her.

The day seemed to have dragged on for an eternity, but finally Elena found her way back to Stefan's room. Everyone had agreed it would be best if she remained in the Boarding House until they knew exactly what Klaus was up to. God only knew where he was and what he was planning, but they did know that they needed to keep Elena safe and far from him.

Once Elena got through the doorway, she tightly closed the door behind her. She walked across the room and let herself fall back on the bed and feel the softness of the quilt against her skin. She breathed out and tried to relax.

"You sure you wanna go to sleep?" A voice said from her door, she could sense his smile without even opening her eyes.

"Listen Damon, I don't want to do this anymore tonight." She said in a defeated tone. Damon walked in and sat down at the edge of the bed.

"Look Elena I'm sorry. I'm sorry I was a dick this morning and I'm sorry that I didn't protect you last night. I guess somehow it didn't feel real to me either, and I don't know, I was wrong." He said quietly. Elena opened her eyes and slowly sat up and looked at him.

"I'm sorry too. I should've fought, I just…" She stopped and looked away.

"I don't know what I was thinking." She said quietly. Damon nodded.

"Elena, Klaus is very powerful and incredibly persuasive. Hell, the man has been alive for long enough; he definitely knows what to say by now. No one blames you for not fighting him. Katherine always said if you weren't afraid of him, then you were an idiot, and one thing can be said for Katherine, she is usually right." Damon said, Elena could tell he would have rather staked himself, than admitted that. He looked down and rubbed his hands on the fabric of his jeans.

"I guess it just scared me. I don't want you to give up, Elena." He said softly.

"Damon, I promise you, I will fight next time. I will be ready." Elena said as she reached over and touched Damon's hand. Damon squeezed her hand and looked up into her beautiful chocolate brown eyes. Elena felt the strong electric current that she always felt when she touched him begin to flow through her body. She wanted to touch him, she wanted to kiss him, but most of all she wanted to make him believe her.

"Elena I will never let anyone hurt you, you know that right?" Damon asked as he reached up and ran his fingers through her hair. Elena closed her eyes and took in the sensation of his touch.

"Yes I do Damon." She said quietly. He nodded and then reached into his pocket.

"I have something for you. I know this isn't quite as special as your necklace, but I think this is something that will help keep you protected." He said as he handed her a small velvet box. Elena turned the box over in her hands and then looked back at Damon.

"Thank you Damon, what is it?" She asked.

"Open it." He said quietly. Elena nodded and opened the small box.

"Oh my God Damon, it's…" Elena's eyes filled with tears as she stared into the small box.

"It's the bracelet that Stefan made for Jenna back when you all thought I was the greatest evil on the planet. Guess you were wrong huh?" He said softly but with a small laugh. The tears fell down Elena's cheeks.

"Damon, thank you. Where did you…." She started but her tears seemed to drown out her voice.

"It's the strangest thing. I was looking through some stuff today in the library and I found it in one of the desk drawers, I guess you have a guardian angel or something." He said with a smile. Elena smiled but then felt the feeling from her dream the night before fill her body.

Elena suddenly remembered the last time she saw the bracelet. Jenna had worn it every day from the moment that Elena had given it to her. It seemed to mean so much to her and Elena never saw her without it. The last time Elena had saw her wearing it had been the night of the Sacrifice. That was the night that Klaus had killed Jenna and left her lying on the ground amidst the fire. She remembered her friends rushing to her and dragging her from the woods before she could make it to Jenna's body. She remembered watching her body slip from her sight and the pain she felt. The only person that had been left in the woods that survived had been Klaus and the only one that would have taken the bracelet from Jenna. Elena felt her heart sink deep into her stomach.

"You OK?" Damon asked interrupting her thoughts. Elena smiled the best she could and just nodded.

"Yeah, I'm just tired. Do you mind if I just get some rest and we talk about all this in the morning?" She asked. Damon nodded and stood.

"Sure, call me if you need anything OK. I'm just down the hall." He said as he turned. Elena nodded.

"Thank you again Damon." She said. Damon turned.

"Keep it on though OK? If nothing else, do it for my sanity." He said with a smile. Elena nodded as she slipped the bracelet on and by the time she looked up, he was gone.

Elena stepped into the shower and slowly let the hot water fall over her tired flesh. With Damon in his room and Alaric back at her house, she finally felt like she had some time to breathe. She closed her eyes and visions of the night before flashed quickly through her mind. Everything had felt so real that she couldn't believe it had just been a dream. She reached her fingers up and touched the place on her throat she had felt Klaus' teeth pierce her skin. She closed her eyes and felt all the sensations return to her. She felt the sharp pain as his teeth sank into her skin, the deep pressure as they moved deeper into her and then the sweet mind swirling satisfaction of him drinking from her. She had received her fair share of vampire bites in the past year, more than she cared to remember. But, something was different about the way Klaus had fed on her. He seemed to feed with his entire body. He had wrapped himself completely around her and pulled her close to him so that every part of him seemed to become part of her. The way he drank from her hadn't seemed to be out of careless hunger or amusement, but out of undeniable need. She rubbed her fingertips across her throat and for a moment thought she felt the faint imprint of teeth on her skin. She breathed in deeply and let her fingers trail from her neck down the warm wet skin of her chest and stomach. She leaned her back against the wall of the shower, but just as her fingertips reached her soft wet core the lights went out.

Elena jumped and tried to steady herself against the shower wall. She blindly reached out into the darkness and shut off the water. She felt around for a towel and once she found one, she shakily wrapped it around her body. She could barely walk straight, but eventually found the door and opened it walking into Stefan's bedroom. She looked around and only saw darkness. She walked further into the bedroom and then in a flash, she saw a flame on top of a candle come to life. Elena's body began to shake as she looked around the bedroom.

"I know you're here." She said, her voice now shaking just as much as her body was. Elena reached around the bedside table and picked up a letter opener she had left there and held it close to her body. She heard a low laugh coming from behind her, but when she turned around no one was there.

"Please, tell me what you want." She begged into the darkness, but as soon as the words escaped her lips she felt someone grab her from behind. She felt a scream arise in her throat but it disappeared into the strong hand that now covered her mouth.

"You know what I want Elena." The voice said quietly into her ear. It was amazing how a voice so terrifying could sound so soothing to her.

"If you are going to kill me, why don't you do it and get it over with? Why do you need to torture me?" She asked, her voice once again sounding childlike in her ears. She felt the low rumble of his laughter in his chest once again.

"And why don't you listen to your little boyfriend? This hardly feels like you are fighting me Elena? Well, unless you count that letter opener in your hand, but I hardly understand what you think you are going to do with it sweetheart." He said softly. Elena closed her eyes and took in a deep breath.

"Klaus please. Tell me what you want. I will do whatever you want if you will just let Stefan go." She begged. Klaus took one of his hands and ran it down Elena's arm. He folded his fingers around her hand and then removed the opener from her grasp and tossed it to the floor.

"What I want, my sweet Elena is to know what exactly you were doing in the shower?" He asked sweetly as he let his head dip to her shoulder. His breath tickled her skin and made all her senses burst to life.

"I was taking a shower." She said as coldly as she could. Klaus laughed and then ran his fingertips back up her arm. Elena leaned her head back and held in a silent moan. What was wrong with her? Why was she letting him do this?

"Elena, I could hear your heartbeat from outside the door. Your thoughts were so loud they practically screamed. I could hear you as you fantasized about what my teeth felt like on your skin." He said as he swallowed.

"I told you, you scare me." She repeated as if to convince them both.

"Elena, forgive me love, but you are a horrible liar." He said as he ran his fingers up her shoulder and over her collarbone. A small moan escaped Elena's lips and she felt Klaus freeze behind her. She closed her eyes and prayed that if he was going to kill her now, he would do it quickly.

She felt his fingers cross her collarbone and then move up the other side of her neck. Her skin burned so hot, it almost hurt when he touched her. Her heart pounded harder with every touch of his fingers and with every new trail he left across her skin, she felt her blood instantly rush to the source.

Once Klaus' fingertips had caressed slowly up the side of her neck and reached her jaw, he gently turned her face to his. She looked into his pale blue eyes and let out a ragged breath.

"Why does it feel like this when you touch me?" She asked quietly. Klaus stared into her eyes and then moved his fingers over her lips.

"Feel like what, love?" He asked tenderly. She had never seen him like this before and she found it purely intoxicating.

"It feels like no one else has ever touched me before and like I never want anyone else to again." She said in a whisper, not breaking her stare into his eyes.

It only took a moment and suddenly, Elena was across the room. She felt her back hit the wall hard and watched as picture frames fell and crashed around her. Within seconds she felt the crush of Klaus' body against hers and his eyes glaring deep into her. She tried to scream but he once again covered her mouth with one of his hands.

"Listen to me and listen to me now, my little doppelganger. You need to be smart and listen to your friends. I am not a vampire on the mend that you can take in and fix. I am an original. If it wasn't for me, those pathetic excuses for lovers that you call the Salvatore's wouldn't be here. Every vampire in this world knows of me and fears me, and if you were a smart girl you would too. I have killed more people than you will ever meet. I have tortured innocent people and watched them die. And so help me, I will be damned if you think that your foolish teenage charms are going to have any effect on my choice to end you. Because trust me Elena, I will end you." He said roughly as his body pushed her harder against the wall. Elena stared wide eyed at him and nodded in silence. Klaus stared at her for a moment and then pushed himself from the wall and turned away from her. She was left against the wall gasping for air. Once she had caught her breath and gained control of herself, she looked toward him once again.

"You said earlier you could hear my thoughts, is that true?" Elena asked suddenly, pushing herself away from the wall. Klaus didn't turn; he just slowly nodded his head.

"If you could read my thoughts, then you know why I said what I said. I wasn't trying to save my life, I was..." She stopped suddenly as Klaus turned towards her. Pain flooded his eyes and he gritted his teeth. Elena knew then, there was nothing more for her to say. Klaus knew all the reasons, but he didn't want to hear them. Elena wanted to go to him, but she knew she was already tempting fate, so she just looked down and remained silent. After a moment she looked back up and in a blur he was gone. Elena felt her body begin to shake once again so she pulled her towel tighter against her. She rubbed her hands down the chilled skin of her arms. When she reached her wrist she froze. She opened her eyes and looked down and there on her wrist was Jenna's bracelet.

Please read and review, thanks in advance. –Nikki XOXOXO