Disclaimer: Own nothing.


All At Once


Stefan couldn't help but rush the young girl first, then the distraught boy, tearing their throats out. He didn't drink at all. He didn't need to – he was still far too satisfied from the hybrid blood he'd consumed over twenty four hours ago.

He turned slowly, dropping the boy's corpse to the floor, blood still dripping from his lips. He saw the horrified look on Elena's face and he knew that something there had been broken. He knew even just staying friends would be a stretch at his point. As he studied her still form her eyes glazed over with fear.

He felt anger rise up in him. Fury. Stefan wasn't an idiot, he knew she felt something for his brother, be it sympathy or more. But he'd thought that their love was stronger than any passing fancy she might have thought she had for Damon. But the way she was looking at him now, she'd never looked at his brother, and what made them so different?

Why was he a terrifying monster when he fed on humans? He was compelled to this time for god's sake. Damon had been feeding on human blood forever. He wasn't as viscous as Stefan, didn't quite tear them apart like he did, that he could concede but he was a ripper. That was what it was like for him. And Damon may have been on blood bags now but he hadn't been for a long time and Stefan was sure he'd done some terrible things too.

"What?" He couldn't hold himself back from glaring at Elena, just a little. She jumped, scuttling back a little in her position on the gym floor and Stefan groaned.

"Elena..." he tried frustrated, moving closer.

"This isn't you." She whispered. "This isn't you Stefan."

"Actually it is, I just invited him to the party love – he's the one dancing." The hybrid said from next to her and Stefan glared at him.

"No. You compelled me."

"And you lied to me so I guess we're even," the hybrid glared back. The ounce of regret Stefan had seen in his eyes was gone now – the blue depths remained cold, revealing nothing.

They were startled by the sound of the doors to the gymnasium slamming open and all of a sudden Stefan found himself suspended in the air by his throat. He snarled down at the newly healed Rebekah and she threw him across the room like a rag doll. He groaned as he was propelled into the wall of the gym, brick raining down around him.

She was on him in an instant. "Where is it?" She hissed. He glared up at her and then did something childish and stupid – he spat in her face. "You cretin!" She shrieked, slamming his head down into the floor not once, but two times, cracking his head like an egg on the ground. He growled shoving her off him and pinning her to the wall she'd tossed him into. She screamed and struggled but they were still evenly matched for the moment.

He felt a hand encircle his wrist and turned his angered gaze to meet Klaus. "Let her go Stefan." Infuriatingly his hand dropped instantly.

Faster than the human eye the younger original lashed out, shoving Stefan backwards before she was unceremoniously slammed back into the wall and the hybrid hissed, "Get off him, Rebekah." Hand still clenching around her throat.

Slowly, he let them both go and backed off a step. "Now. What brought on this little squabble?" He said darkly, as if irritated by two fighting children.

"Well after he stabbed me." She snarled, "I eventually found you here, but first I stumbled upon your little werewolf in the corridor." The hybrid ignored Stefan's sharp look at that, "with that compelled little human. But there was a vampire with him, the blonde one."

"Caroline." Stefan murmured.

She looked at him disdainfully. "Yes, well, she was talking on the phone to someone so I took it from her. Imagine my surprise when the picture on it had the doppelgänger Wearing my necklace." She held up the small device, screen lighting up with a damning image of Elena and Caroline.

Klaus' turned to face him then. "Well well. More lies." The look of disappointment infuriated Stefan and in a blur of speed he surged forward and snapped Rebekah's neck. He heard Elena let out a surprised yelp and immediately felt strong arms pulling him back. He looked to where the blonde's temporarily immobile body lay and couldn't help but feel satisfied even if he'd angered Klaus.

Once he'd calmed and his chest had stopped heaving, the veins around his eyes receding, Klaus allowed him to shrug off his arms and step back. Surprisingly all the hybrid did was give him a sharp look before turning to Elena.

"Where's the necklace sweetheart? Be honest."

"I don't have it. I'm telling the truth – Katherine stole it." She said, trying to put up a brave front but Stefan and Klaus for that matter could see her fear. She was telling the truth.

"Katerina." Klaus murmured, "of course." He began to pace, saying to the room at large sarcastically, "well that's unfortunate. If we had the necklace it would make things a whole lot easier for your witch. But since we're doing this the hard way, let's put a clock on it shall we?"

Stefan could tell the hybrid was furious. Either because of Katherine's thwarting of his plans yet again or because of Stefan's lies, it didn't really matter anymore. The original had no reason to be in any sort of congenial mood – which didn't bode well for them.

He strode over to the LED timer, used to keep the score and time accessible during basketball matches and pulled a switch. "Twenty minutes!" The hybrid hissed. "And if Bonnie hasn't found a solution by then I want you to feed again," he strode closer to Stefan, inches away from touching, "and this time I want you to feed on Elena." He smirked over at her.

"You know you want to." He whispered to Stefan softly before turning on his heel. "No one leaves." He yelled over his shoulder to his sister who Stefan noticed was just now awakening. As she followed her brother out he heard Klaus say to her, "if she tries to leave, fracture her spine." The blonde looked gleeful at the possible opportunity and they both exited the gym.

Slowly, Stefan turned to Elena who was looking at him in fear. He had one question.

"What the hell is going on?"


After Elena had explained to him about Tyler and about Klaus' ultimatum to Bonnie they sat in silence, not daring to look at each other and altogether too aware of the ticking clock.

"So..." They both started at the same time, and stopped, looking at each other. Elena laughed. "You go."

Stefan stared at her for a moment, her smile had lit up her face and for a moment it was as if everything was okay. As if they were okay.

"I'm sorry." He muttered.

She looked up at him. "Did you..." She trailed off, looking down before seemingly gathering some determination. "Did you mean what you said? In Chicago?"

He closed his eyes. He didn't even know how to answer that question. He didn't know when he was still acting anymore. He couldn't tell when he was playing a part or if he had just changed so much that this was him now.

"Yes." He whispered, closing his eyes. "I love you, Elena. But it wouldn't work between us." In his mind he silently added, I'm not strong enough.

Elena seemed to know what he was thinking though, she always did. "We can find a way." It sounded weak, even to her he guessed as she flinched as the words left her mouth.

"I'm not the same." He said quietly, darkly. Trying to get her to understand.

"We'll figure it out Stefan!" She sounded desperate and he sighed.

"I love how you try so hard. For your friends, for your family...never change Elena." He stood, moving towards the back of the gym, pacing.

Elena suddenly gasped. "Caroline's dad. Stefan he was able to resist compulsion! I don't know how but he did it, maybe it's possible!"

He stopped pacing and laughed sarcastically, "this isn't Damon doing some fancy mind trick Elena, it's Klaus." He moved toward her, glowering darkly. "When that timer runs out I will have to feed on you and I don't know if I'll be able to stop." He figured that he would be able to, after all he actually wasn't hungry – for once in his life. But if Elena knew that then she wouldn't run and he couldn't take any chances.

"Elena you have to run. As soon as that buzzer goes off you have to run."

"You can stop Stefan! You just have to try!" He listened to her protests, growing angry as she refused to budge. Why couldn't she see that he was trying to do what was best for them? For her?

"You don't get it Elena!" He hissed. "I'm a ripper! It's what I am. All I can hear while you're talking to me, when you're anywhere near me is your heart, pumping blood. It never stops for me." He could admit to a little exaggeration, but he really needed to force the point home. He couldn't afford to be complacent and make a mistake.

"You need to fight Stefan." She whispered. "You need to fight, because after everything that we've been through you owe me that."

He stared into her eyes. She was right of course. He owed her – so much. "You're right." He whispered. "You're right. I owe you everything because through all of this you're the one thing that has kept me from giving it all up – from turning it all off."

She had been what he was holding onto for those three months. Her, Damon, Mystic Falls. But he wasn't lying when he said next, "but I can't help what I am Elena," heart near bursting with pain at the devastated look on her face. "The more blood I get the more I want it." Why couldn't she understand?

It had been a while since he'd thought about – the switch. Staring into Elena's terrified eyes today, seeing her disgusted look as he tore apart her school mates...it made him want it. More than once the last three months he tried to make himself do it, to turn it all off. But he couldn't. And a part of him wondered if maybe that was because there was no switch?

He couldn't count the amount of times he'd caught glimpses of emotion from Klaus – fleeting but there and the original was over a thousand years old. If anyone would have their supposed switch turned off – it would be Klaus.

The clock was ticking down to it's last seconds and Stefan had begun to sweat. He needed her to stop being so stubborn and run.

"Please," he begged her, "Elena, please, please, please." He dragged himself backwards, trying to put as much distance between them as possible. He heard the sound of the buzzer ringing through his ears and knew this was it.

He couldn't help it – his body launched towards her and her terrified scream made him snarl, holding onto the bleachers and screaming, "Elena, run! Go!" As stubborn as she was, along with her heartfelt proclamations of love and how she believed in him...she was still terrified. She ran.

The compulsion made his body fling itself after her and he tried his best to slow himself down, using the last of his willpower to slam himself into lockers, walls anything within his vicinity. He was like a comet careening out of control.

He stumbled through a doorway and his eyes fell upon a cleaner's cart. There was a broom. He snapped it in half over his knee, breaking the end off and stabbed himself through the stomach – not the heart – and in that moment he came to a lurching realisation. He wasn't willing to die for her. He should have been willing to die for her. He should have taken the makeshift stake and driven it through his heart. But he couldn't. Why?

He disgusted himself.

He turned, grunting in pain when the door suddenly opened and Klaus blew in, Elena struggling in his grip. "Now this is fascinating, I've never seen this before." He was angry now, not just frustrated Stefan could tell. "The only thing stronger than your craving for blood...is your love for this one girl." He finished through grit teeth, grip on Elena's arm tightening visibly. In a rare display of feeling the older vampire seemed genuinely pissed off that he was choosing Elena over him.

In an instant, Klaus had turned to him. "Why don't you turn it off?" He said lightly, striding closer and Stefan grunted out a fierce "no."

"Come on," the hybrid called, taking a seat upon a table as if he were a spectator at a sporting match. "Your humanity is killing you." He seemed to make a joke out of it but Stefan saw right through his false expression. "All the guilt must be exhausting...turn it off."

And he knew he had a chance. A chance to convince him – to make him see differently because despite it all the hybrid seemed truly desperate to win him over, even after all the lies.

"No!" Was this even about his guilt? Stefan thought through a haze of pain. Or was it about Elena and the fact that he'd lied about her to Klaus. Punishing him for his betrayal.

"You're strong," he said, sauntering closer, "but you're not that strong." He ripped the makeshift stake from his chest. Stefan gasped, grasping at his stomach. He didn't dare move from his position as Klaus looked directly into his eyes, sounding deceivingly calm. "Turn. It. Off."

There was a dangerous look in the hybrid's eyes now and Stefan felt fear rise within him. He couldn't do this. He couldn't turn all of this off. This was him, this was who he was.

"No!" He screamed, shoving Klaus away from him. He felt embarrassingly close to tears, panic welling in the pit of his stomach. Klaus was going to compel him he knew it. But he couldn't, he just couldn't switch it off.

As he was shoved back against the wall he was prepared to beg. He closed his eyes as Klaus screamed at him. He knew he'd been lucky, just a second later and he would have been compelled. He opened his eyes in anguish.

"Don't. Please." He begged.

"Now, Stefan." The hybrid snarled.

Stefan squeezed his eyes shut tight, gasping. Pain exploding in his chest. "But then I wouldn't feel anything for you either." His voice was soft. The words had just slipped out of their own accord but he couldn't find it within himself to regret it. He didn't label what these feelings were, it didn't need to be said. He'd already given enough.

But he hadn't chosen. He refused to choose.

It was then that Stefan realised the hybrid was gripping his hips intimately, holding him in place. "Please, Klaus." He begged, his hand's rising up to grip the original's shoulders. "Don't do this." As he stared into blue eyes, broken, he saw something flicker. A small spark but it was there.

In a millisecond it was gone.

"If you don't want me to fix you Stefan, then show me you don't need to be fixed. Drink from the doppelgänger's neck. Now."

Stefan stared into unyielding baby blues and realised that he had no choice. He had to do this. He closed his eyes, gripping the shirt under his fingers tightly and taking a deep breath. Gently he pushed the hybrid away and moved toward Elena.

"Stefan," she whispered. "No..."

He wondered then, bitterly, where her belief in him had gone. She had been so stubborn in insisting that he could do it but when it came down to it she was backing away, terrified.

He took her hand gently, pulling her toward him. "It's okay Elena." He looked into her eyes and she calmed. "It's okay." He promised her and she nodded in understanding. He could control this. He wasn't that hungry. Her blood couldn't be that good anyway, he told himself.

"Tick tock." Klaus mocked quietly and Stefan's gaze hardened. Slowly he ran a hand through Elena's hair and she tilted her head to the side acquiescently. He felt a rush of blood to the head as his fangs extended and he punctured the soft skin of her neck. He drank. He drank for at least a minute before pulling away, blood dripping from his chin.

He took a step back and Elena stared at him in awe. He took another step, then another and turned to face Klaus, licking the blood from his lips.

"What this is showing me Stefan," Klaus said expressionless, "is that you're still just a liar."

"No. I'm not." Stefan stated. "What this is showing you is that I am taking your side." He hissed. "But I'm loyal to my friends."

He growled as he stumbled back a few steps, Klaus suddenly appearing in front of him, shoving him. He looked murderous. "You're meant to be loyal to me."

"I am!" Stefan snarled, with the horrifying realisation that maybe he was. He hadn't been putting on any of this, it had all just come out so maybe, just maybe that was how he really felt. "You were the one who said we were friends." Stefan's teeth were grit so hard it hurt as he pushed the hybrid back.

The original snarled at him in a true display of anger. "We used to be."

Stefan hated him in that moment. Why couldn't any of them understand? Him and Elena were both the same.

"The man you were with? He's still in here." He jabbed at his chest, "but I can't be him." He was so furious he could feel the veins around his eyes welling and his fangs itching to drop down.

"So what?" Klaus said sarcastically, equally angry. "You're going to just go back to feeding off little woodland animals? Run off into the sunset with her?" He pointed at Elena who was watching them argue with wide eyes.

"No!" Stefan roared. "I need you both," he hissed darkly, gaze flickering over to Elena as well, "to stop trying to mould me into something I'm not!" He breathed heavily, before kicking a broken table out of his way and storming from the room.

He was an asshole for just leaving Elena there and he knew it. But he was so angry. He leant against the wall outside the room, staring at the ceiling trying to calm himself down. A second later Klaus was out the door, dragging Elena. Stefan's head shot up with a glare but before he could get a word out he felt hands on his neck and the familiar pain of his spine snapping.

"See you soon Stefan." The hybrid whispered and he felt everything go black.


Intense huh? On another note...I FINALLY GOT MY SPELLCHECKER WORKING! :D Hooray! Let me know what you thought about that itsy bitsy twist of what really happened :)

Next chapter Klaus ends up in Stefan's bed ;) Maybe or maybe not how you think.