Chapter 7
"Stefan?" Klaus asked and Elena frowned at the tenderness reflected in his voice. He almost looked as if he cared about Stefan. Stefan opened his eyes and looked up at them.
Damon…
Damon turned his back coldly and walked away back to their room and Elena stood up conflicted.
"Damon?" She called after him. She had the feeling she'd missed a lot more than she realised in her absence from their lives the past few days. She knew that Stefan had been treating him badly and without love but it wasn't like Damon to walk away. It was as though he didn't care anymore and that terrified her. She looked down to Klaus and they made eye contact as Stefan struggled to sit up.
"Damien, take Stefan to his room, make sure Damon is there." Klaus ordered and stood up as Damien rounded the corner and lifted Stefan. "Miss Gilbert I think we need to have a chat."
He guided her past the dining room where her abandoned lunch lay untouched and into a smaller room with an IV stand waiting. She paused when she saw it and felt fear radiate through her.
"I need some more of your blood and I thought this the easiest way for you." He explained and she held her breath as she approached it and sat down in the chair next to it. "It won't hurt." He assured and she nodded and focussed on a spot on the wall as he pierced her skin and inserted the tube. She winced and bit her lip.
"Tell me about Stefan and Damon, about their mating." He said and she looked up at him.
"I thought you knew everything there to know about mates." He frowned.
"I've never seen this. They are different. They die together or alone once the other has died, they don't get ill."
"What did you think was going to happen? You turned Stefan into a monster. It must be affecting their bond." She hit back and he paused thinking it over as she felt herself feel a little dizzy. He looked to the bag filling at her side and nodded. He'd take one pint. It should do him for a while.
"They've been through so much and now you've destroyed everything they had." She felt grief fill her, remembering the look of disinterest on Damon's face as Stefan collapsed. "Their bond is breaking." Her eyes filled with tears as she spoke and Klaus tensed and removed the IV from her arm. He seemed bothered by this turn of events.
"What is Stefan to you?" She probed and he stopped fidgeting with the blood bag and looked at her. "Out there, it seemed like you cared about him."
"That doesn't sound like me now does it?" He smirked but she wasn't convinced.
"Not having his humanity is killing him. If you cared about him you would release him." She braved and he scoffed at her.
"I don't need him anymore, I have my hybrids."
"Then why keep them here?" He smiled at her and clicked his tongue thinking it over. "What if I told you there was a way to break their bond. Would you let Damon go home safe?"
"Perhaps." He said slowly and her heart began to race. This was the moment she could bargain with him.
"They have some blood from another mate. If they both drink it, it will sever their connection. They can both live."
"And you just happen to know where this blood is?" He leaned into her space intensely and she gulped.
"Damon has it. He wouldn't tell me where it was."
"Hmmmn. How inconvenient. Perhaps we can get it out of him with a little persuasion."
"He won't tell you anything! He might tell me though."
"Yes he just might. He's fond of you too. Strange little triangle this. You must feel a little out in the cold now that they have mated to each other and no longer need you." He smiled wickedly and she tensed. He nodded to himself, seeing how much this truth was affecting her.
"I have a condition."
"Oh do you now? And what makes you think you have anything to bargain with Miss Gilbert?" His tone took on a threatening manner and she held herself tight.
"I've been drinking vervain. You can't compel me to tell you where the blood is. If I can get Damon to give me the blood, you spare him. Let him take enough to break the bond and let him go free. You won't need him anymore."
"And what about darling Stefan?"
"The Stefan I know is gone. He chooses his own fate now." He straightened up and walked around her considering her proposal. She held tight and tried to stay as confident as possible while she waited.
"Damon goes and you stay. That's the deal."
"I understand that. Leave Damon alone, swear you won't go after him or hurt him." He came to a stop in front of her and smiled. She shivered not knowing whether his smiles meant he was being amiable or had cruel intentions.
"You know, you're not as weak as I thought you were." She bit her lip. He nodded. "Ok we have a deal. Get me that blood and let's end this."
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Damien had brought Stefan in and had lain him down onto the bed as Damon had waited. Stefan didn't look good and although he felt as though he should feel something, anything, he just…didn't. He wasn't sure why. He wasn't even numb, he just didn't care. Stefan on the other hand seemed to be fighting off emotions.
"Damon please, it hurts! I feel like I'm being pulled in two!" Stefan cried and reached for him. Damon sat in a chair by the window and sighed.
Help me Damon.
"What do you want me to do about it?" He asked and Stefan's veins protruded.
"Feed me please, hold me!"
"You want me to hold you? That sounds a little sentimental." Damon remarked as he rose slowly and approached the bed. Stefan whimpered as he climbed on to the bed and pulled Stefan into his lap. Stefan held onto him tight as Damon bit into his wrist and placed it to Stefan's mouth. Stefan drank hungrily holding his arm. Damon turned the switch off and looked around the room in boredom as Stefan began to sigh. A knock sounded at the door.
"Damon it's me. Can I come in?" Elena asked and he called her in. She looked down at Stefan as she entered. She would have to be careful how she did this.
"How is he?" She asked and Damon shrugged and winced a little as Stefan bit a new wound into his wrist.
"Why is he sick?" She came to the side of the bed and Stefan opened his eyes and growled under his breath at her proximity. She took a step back as Damon chuckled at him in disbelief.
"He doesn't want you to touch me." Damon explained and she nodded in understanding. "How should I know why he's sick?"
"Is your bond breaking?" He looked at her, eyes wide in contemplation for a second before shaking his head.
"It doesn't work like that. One of us has to die or drink from another mate for that to happen." She stepped closer to him again at his mention of mated blood and he shot her a quizzical look, quickly followed by comprehension. "Anne's blood is gone Elena."
"What?"
"Stefan poured it down the drain."
"No! Why did he do that?!" She panicked and Stefan growled at her as she came closer. Damon growled back at Stefan angrily.
Cut it out!
He channelled and Stefan broke his contact with his wrist and looked up at him.
"Did you pour all of it away?" She directed at Stefan and Stefan scowled at her. What the hell was she interrupting his feeding for anyway?
"It's gone." Damon answered for him and she shook her head and turned her back, pacing as she tried to think of another plan, anything, to get Damon out of this.
More.
Stefan channelled, trying to sit up and push Damon onto his back.
"Elena, you better get out of here. He needs to feed." Damon advised and she turned to look at them again. Stefan pushed Damon backwards and climbed on top of him. Damon lay back almost looking bored and tilted his head to allow Stefan access. It was so unlike him just to lie back and let this continue. What was wrong with him?
"Ok." She said feeling torn and left the room as quickly as she could as she heard Stefan moan in rapture and drink noisily as Damon looked up at the ceiling disinterested. Something wasn't right here and she couldn't figure out what. She went back to the dining room looking for Klaus. Anne's blood was gone, but there had to be something else she could do. Klaus was eating at the table. She stopped in her tracks in amazement and watched him. He glanced up and began to chuckle at her reaction.
"Yes, I can eat if I want to Miss Gilbert. How goes your little mission?" He gestured for her to sit down. She sucked in a deep breath and tried to think.
"The blood's gone. Stefan poured it away thanks to his lack of humanity."
"Well that's disappointing news." Klaus took a sip of wine from a glass as she rung her hands together under the table.
"I have another proposition."
"Indeed? Do regale me love." His eyes brightened and he gave her his full attention.
"Make Stefan turn his humanity back on."
"Why would I do that?"
"Because he's sick and none of us know why. Damon says it's not their bond causing it but I think it is."
"Go on…I'm rather enjoying your mind today." He jested.
"I wondered at first if Stefan having no humanity would make Damon the same because they're so linked but Damon didn't change. They've always been like magnets so what if they are pulling at each other because they are opposites? Like…like tectonic plates or something."
"Interesting idea." He commented and she thanked her stars that she had paid at least some attention in physics class this year.
"If you make him turn it all back on, then they will stop pulling each other." She explained. He steepled his fingers over his mouth as he thought on it. She held her breath as his mind whirled. He stood up abruptly and she rose unsure and flushed with adrenaline to the point where she was shaking. Klaus didn't say anything, just began to leave the room so she quickly followed behind him as he headed back to Damon and Stefan's room. He didn't knock as he arrived at the door, just pushing his way inside as she followed hot on his heels.
Stefan was feeding from Damon's neck still and Damon appeared to be day dreaming. Stefan pulled up growling as they entered.
"Stefan come here." Klaus commanded and Stefan hissed. "Now." Klaus compelled and Stefan became dazed and climbed off of the bed and went to him. Elena moved around them from behind and went to Damon's side.
"What's going on?" He asked, sitting up a little groggy.
"Stefan, I want you to turn your humanity back on." Klaus compelled and Damon gasped in shock. Was this really happening? Elena held his hand tight as she high fived herself inside her mind.
"No!" Stefan made a pleading sound and everyone looked at him in surprise. "Please don't…"
"Stefan you will turn it back on." Klaus reiterated and Stefan turned to glance at Damon. Elena was positive she saw fear in his eyes. Damon looked back at him blankly. "Now Stefan."
Stefan made a whimper and blinked rapidly. Elena's heart was in her mouth as she waited. Stefan sucked in a breath and fell to his knees. Klaus stepped backwards and looked over to Damon.
"Fix him." He advised with venom in his tone.
"It's not my problem." Damon said sounding bored and Elena looked to him in shock. He looked up at her and raised his eyebrows at her expression. "What?"
"His humanity is back on." She pointed out and Damon shrugged and looked over at Stefan who was hyperventilating with his back still turned. "But…he's back, he's yours again." She stumbled and Stefan finally turned his head and looked around at him as tears spilled down his cheeks. Damon exhaled.
"Doesn't change anything." Damon said and even Klaus exhaled in amazement. Stefan closed his eyes and hung his head as he sobbed. Elena looked at Klaus as she began to panic.
"Blood share. Now." Klaus barked at Damon and he sighed and got up from the bed, kneeling down in front of Stefan. Stefan searched his eyes. Damon didn't look him in the eye, merely pulling Stefan forward into his neck and holding him there until Stefan put his arms around him and bit down. Damon found a spot on Stefan's shoulder and sunk his fangs in too, gulping down. No one spoke. Stefan pulled up from Damon's neck and Damon withdrew his teeth as they looked at each other. Damon gave him a tight smile and a pat on the arm as he stood up again and Stefan swallowed painfully. Damon was blocking him from his mind and he had no idea what was going on. Damon had never been able to do that when they were blood sharing before.
Damon?
"All fed and watered. Off you go little minion." Damon said and Stefan coughed violently into his hands, startling them all as he looked down at a pool of blood coating them. He looked up at Damon in fear and coughed violently again groaning as he spat out more blood.
"What's happening?!" Elena cried and Klaus rushed to Damon and pushed him against the wall angrily.
"I said fix your bond!" He growled and Damon smirked at him.
"Bite me."
"Damon!" Elena cried and Damon sighed bored as Stefan coughed again. "Have you turned off your humanity?"
"Turn it on Damon." Klaus commanded, compelling him. Damon blinked rapidly and Klaus stepped backwards to give Damon a view of Stefan's trembling form. Damon blinked and looked up to Klaus again.
"It's not my problem." He said and Elena put her face in her hands. Klaus frowned in confusion and fury and grabbed Damon by the throat, looking deeply into his eyes.
"Don't hurt him!" Stefan begged as Klaus leaned so close to Damon's face, their noses were almost touching.
"Something isn't right here." He said. He looked sharply to Elena. "How did they mate?"
"They were locked in a basement and had to feed on each other." She answered rapidly in fear.
"Then what?!"
"I..I don't know..I" She stumbled.
"We were kidnapped. Experimented on!" Stefan added, holding his stomach in pain as he felt nausea creep in.
"No, it's something else!" Klaus yelled now and squeezed Damon's throat. Damon's eyes bulged and he choked at the pressure.
"What have you done to yourself? What kind of spell have you done?" Klaus hissed and Damon turned scarlet and choked.
"He hasn't done anything!" Elena shouted and Stefan gasped in realisation.
"The spell!"
"What spell?!" Klaus turned to him and roared as Stefan looked to Elena. He grunted in pain and she finally realised what he was talking about.
"Stefan died. We did a spell to bring him back!"
"What kind of spell?"
"Bonnie used Damon's life force to bring him back." She explained. The chips were falling into place.
"She split him in two to bring me back." Stefan added and Klaus released Damon and let him fall to the ground holding his throat.
"She spilt his soul in half to revive you?" Klaus asked and Stefan nodded. Klaus looked back to Damon and bit his lip. "Being demagnetised has separated both pieces of him." He surmised.
"What does that mean?" Elena asked and Klaus huffed.
"Only he can repair it. It seems you have the emotional centre Stefan." Klaus advised and Stefan swallowed. That was why Damon had become less and less affected by his feelings. As they had been pulled further and further from each other, Damon's soul had separated.
"Damon…" Elena beseeched and Damon got up still rubbing his throat and looked at them all.
"What will happen to me?" Stefan asked Klaus.
"You'll die. Both of you."
"That'll put a nice kink in your plans." Damon rasped smiling.
"Stefan loves you again Damon. Stefan do something!" Elena said and Stefan got up onto his feet shakily.
Damon…
Damon looked at him as he walked over to him and cupped his face with both hands.
It's me. It's me. Pain. Grief. Desperation. Love…
"Please forgive me. I love you so much. Don't do this Damon." Stefan begged as Damon's face remained blank. He began to sob and leaned into Damon's mouth to kiss him. Damon kissed back a little and Stefan rubbed their noses together.
"I won't be your blood bag anymore." Damon said, keeping his face tight. "You can all go to hell."
Klaus roared and clenched his fists.
"Wait! Don't you get it? You did this to them! Why would he want to join with him again when the result would be the same? You have to let them go!" Elena shouted. "Please!"
Stefan hung his head. It was over. Klaus had no reason to save them. Stefan was just muscle, he wasn't important. If he couldn't perform his function to Klaus what did Klaus care if he and Damon perished? Elena and Klaus were staring each other out fiercely. She knew there was something Klaus wasn't telling. There was some reason that he had wanted Stefan with him and she was willing to bet that he wouldn't want Stefan to die.
"Let them go and I won't fight." She said and there was absolute silence in the room. "You don't need any of us here drawing attention to you. Let us go home and I will send you a pint of blood every week for the rest of my life."
Klaus snorted and Stefan and Damon looked to Elena horrified.
"I swear on their lives. If you hold up your end of the deal then I'll hold up mine for as long as I am alive." She stood up slowly from the bed and kept her gaze on Klaus confidently. "It's your choice. Let them die and have to deal with the attention that I create around us wherever we go, or let us all have our lives back and get what you want from me without any drama."
All eyes turned to Klaus.
