A/N: So even though this was set back in season 3 I'm going to continue it for a little while. Reason I say that is just because of how far back it is and how far ahead we are now. I do have a poll going on about this on my profile if any of you want to help me decide. I know a lot of people liked this story (which I am thankful for) but because of how far back it is I'm not sure whether to continue it or not. Please enjoy the chapter and don't forget to vote!
I knew he was around. Somewhere in this house he was here. I could always sense my brother when he was trying to sneak up on me, something he hated back when were kids because he could never win.
I walked around the house making it seem like I wasn't paying attention to my senses. He'll make an appearance, he always does and if I know his Ripper ways he'll make it dramatic. That's just the way Ripper Stefan is.
I went to the library, heading to the bookshel,f and started going through the books. He was getting closer.
When I reached the second shelf I heard him behind me. Before he could touch me I grabbed him and threw him up against the shelves.
"You might want to try a different approach to being scary, the dramatic entrances are getting old," I said with my hand on his neck.
He pushed me off him. "Shut up, I'm not here for your sarcasm."
I let go of him. "Why else come here?" I smirked but realized that was getting me off topic. "Nevermind that's not the point. Point is is that you broke Elena's heart and pissed me off so I am not exactly happy you here."
He growled at me.
"Don't blame me Stefan, no one told you to save me," I said.
"I'm not here to fight with you Damon. I need your help," he said.
"Well I'm not in service right now so leave your complaint at the door and make sure it doesn't hit you on the way out but if I'm lucky theres a deadly piece of wood sticking out that is sharp enough to stake you," I said mumbling the last part and turning my back on him. I had no desire to play his Ripper games when I had other things to worry about.
"Klaus doesn't believe Elena is dead."
I stopped. Well this just turned into a game changer.
"What do you mean he doesn't believe she's dead?" I looked back at him.
He stepped toward me. "Exactly what I said"
"And this came about how?"
"His sister Rebekah. The necklace I gave Elena belongs to her and it has properties Klaus needs to talk to the Original Witch because of his Hyrbid army," Stefan told me.
"So your helping him now? And the necklace you gave to your girlfriend belongs to what I'm guessing is another girlfriend. Bravo Stefan."
Stefan walked toward me with an irritated look on his face. "I'm not helping him, I came here to ask for your help."
"Okay hold on, lets rewind here. What exactly are you telling me," I said. Right now nothing made sense except for the fact that Klaus was starting to believe Elena wasn't dead.
Stefan sighed. "Klaus has been trying to make his Hybrids but they've been unsuccesful, we went to see Gloria and she said she needed Rebekah because she had the necklace that belonged to the Original witch. The necklace is the only way to contact her and to see why Klaus hasn't be able to make the Hybrids but he also believes it's because Elena isn't dead."
I leaned against the table near the couch and let all the information sink in. I couldn't get over one little detail though.
"I get all that, now explain to me why you care. Ripper," I said.
Stefan stood there glaring at me.
"If your so into your little 'I don't care about human life' nature then you shouldn't be here asking for my help to make Klaus believe Elena is dead, unless of course you do care," I said walking up to him.
"Do you care Stefan?" I asked innocently. I knew this was getting to him and it was fun to watch. My brother can't fool me.
"Are you gonna help me or not?" he asked ignoring my question.
I chuckled and smirked.
I turned away from him and headed over to the desk in the library. "Your lucky Ric and I had a Plan B."
"What are you talking about?" Stefan asked.
"Alaric had been paranoid about the fact that Klaus could figure out Elena wasn't dead so we came up with a plan to prove it. Well prove to him she was dead," I said pulling out a manilla folder out of the desk drawer and throwing it down.
Stefan came up to the desk and opened the folder.
"Since you killed Andy I had to find another person to do all the digging for me. These pictures are from Elena's parents funeral, we have just about everyone that Elena knows in these pictures and with some amazing photoshop we were able to cut her out of a few and make it look like her funeral," I told him and sat on the desk.
I really hated talking about this.
"And these articles?" he asked flipping through them.
"Fake. I had compelled someone to write them up but it has the dates perfectly lined up with her death and funeral and afterwards. I even have mentions of Jenna, Jules, Jeremy and Ric just to have the third mysterious dead person in the woods, what going on with family, and the poor man who lost his girlfriend and student. I would have included a newscast but that would have been pushing it. The pictures we photoshopped are used in the articles, you don't have to use them seperately."
Stefan nodded looking at the papers. "This is good."
I looked at him. "It gets better."
I watched as Stefan flipped through the pages waiting for him to hit the last idea that would sell the enitre thing.
Stefan looked up at me when he spotted it.
"What the hell is this?" he asked holding up the photos. I couldn't read his expression, it was a mix of horror and surprise.
"Thank your other girlfriend, it was her idea," I said sliding off the desk and going to the place I had my alcohol.
"Katherine? Why would she help?" Stefan asked.
I poured a glass and took a sip. "No idea, she just came out of the blue and said this would really sell it."
Stefan looked down at the 'autopsy' photos that were of Elena but really of Katherine. "This just made everything a lot easier."
"Keep looking, theres more," I told him.
"I don't want to see anymore pictures of Katherine playing dead as Elena. And how did she even pull that off?"
"We snuck to the hospital morgue, she compelled the guy to take pictures, she took off her clothes, made a fake bite mark on her neck and wha-la! Fake Elena autopsy," I said to him throwing my hands up for dramatic effect.
"And what about the autopsy report?" he asked.
"Stef come on, you really gotta question all this? Its a good plan to take back to your boss," I said and took another drink.
Stefan's jaw clenched and I smirked.
"He's not my boss, I just want to make sure you have everything covered," he said voice low.
I groaned. "Ugh fine, here it is all layed out. We were going to make an autopsy report but seeing as the Council hides the fact that vampires live in this town it was understandable we wouldn't be able to get our hands on one. The pictures though make up for it and like I keep telling you, they sell the whole thing."
"And Klaus figuring out its Katherine?" he asked crossing his arms and raising his eyebrows at me.
"She left town to run from him, why would she come back to the town he was in? Plus he knows as well as we do she saves her own ass before anyone elses, so thats covered. And if your thinking dirty, Katherine told me Klaus has never seen her naked," I said smirking at the last part. Good to know she doesn't undress for every guy she mets.
"Now are you gonna look at the rest of the pictures or not?" I asked.
Stefan opened the folder and looked to the very back of the folder. When he saw the last few photos he looked back up at me, again with shock and horror.
"Don't you think this is a little too far?"
"I think the autopsy photos were a little too far," I said setting my glass down and walking up to him. "These photos are in case nothing in here works."
"I don't know, everything is too perfect and these photos probably will make it suspicious," Stefan said.
"Look, these photos are in case Klaus doesn't believe the articles or autopsy photos. This just helps to make it believeable," I told him.
Stefan sighed. "Does Elena know about any of this?"
I shook my head. "No one does. Alaric only knows about the articles and Katherine knows about everything except this. The headstone was my idea."
Stefan glanced at the pictures again. "These articles with the funeral photos are good, the autopsy will give visible proof, the headstone I'm not sure."
"It Plan C to Plan B, you don't have to use them unless its a last resort. Get it together Stefan, I've explained it like 3 times," I told him.
I watched as my brother was beginning to get irritated with me.
He took a deep breathe and then looked up at me again. "How'd you get the headstone?"
"I went out of state to do it, brought it back to Mystic Falls, put in were Jenna's just recent grave is and took a few pictures. Then destroyed it with a sledge hammer, all evidence is gone," I shrugged.
I didn't like that I had to do all this as if Elena was really dead but once Alaric brought that up I started to think of every possible way to keep Klaus away from Elena long enough for me to come up with a better plan or to destroy him. The articles were one thing, but both sets of photos are another. It doesn't give Klaus enough evidence to keep him away from here forever but it gives enough time to figure out what the hell were going to do.
"Glad to know your still useful," Stefan said.
I chuckled. "Glad to know you still think your funny," I said and the took a swig of my drink.
Stefan eyed my glass. "Got anymore of that?"
I gestured over to the tumblr of Rum. "Help yourself."
Stefan walked over to the table and I finished my drink looking over the folder once again. "I'm not one to toot my own horn or anything but I have to give myself credit on this. This is the best fake dead file I have ever seen."
"It is pretty impressive," came Stefan's low voice.
"It has some minor flaws but will keep Klaus at bay, till we think of something better. Speaking of, I can't believe you dated Klaus's sister," I told him.
"It was just a one time thing," he said.
"Oh I bet you say that to all the girls," I smirked but then sensed the mood in the room had changed.
I turned around to look at Stefan but I felt a sharp pain in my stomach. I looked down to see a stake and Stefan on the other end of it.
"Its just business," he said before snapping my neck.