So I'm pretty sure I really like this one, just saying...that is...if you guys like it?
Just kidding! If you don't, GTFO! :)
Disclaimer: Don't own much except the crazy shit.
Falling into Your Arms
Stefan was channel surfing at around midday when his phone rang. He didn't really go out all that much anymore, no longer having to attend the scooby gang's little Grill sessions now that he wasn't dating Elena.
"Hello?" He answered, half hoping that it was Klaus. He hadn't seen the hybrid since he'd left the other night and he was getting a little...anxious waiting to see him again. He could admit it, he missed him. It had barely been a blink and he was already going stir-crazy without an appearance from the blonde. He really had to get his phone number next time he turned up – it was crazy that he hadn't already.
"Stefan, it's Caroline." He sat up at the sound of her shaky voice.
"Care? What's wrong?" He frowned, worried that something had happened to her. Maybe her mother had broken the compulsion or someone else had found out about her.
"Can you just come over?" She asked and he stood up immediately, throwing on his jacket and balancing he phone between his cheek and his shoulder.
"Sure, I'm heading over right now," he assured her, heading out to the Porsche. He drove like a maniac the whole way there, overtaking more than a few unsuspecting citizens on the wrong side of the road – they just weren't going fast enough!
He practically threw himself out of the car and ran up the stairs to her front door, shifting his feet from side to side on the porch as he waited. When she opened the door she looked anxious but relieved to see him.
"Stefan!" She exclaimed, pulling him inside.
"What's up Care?" He asked, frowning as she wrung her hands together – something he thought he'd never see her do. Was she having one of her neurotic, insecure moments? Boy issues? "Is this to do with Tyler?" He asked as the thought struck him and felt rage rise in his chest as she nodded hesitantly.
"What'd he do to you?" He growled. Tyler could have been abusing her or something this whole time and none of them would have known thanks to her instantaneous healing abilities.
Her eyes widened and she shook her hands, "no! No! Nothing like that!" She protested, before biting her lip. "Promise me you won't tell Damon?"
Stefan nodded, "you know whatever you say stays between us Care."
"Tyler knows about you and Damon!" She blurted out, "He knows that Damon killed Mason. I promise you I didn't say a word!"
Stefan sighed, closing his eyes and running a hand over his face. "It's that woman, Jules? Damon's had a run in with her."
Caroline looked up at him with worried eyes. "Tyler was so upset. The look on his face – he was so betrayed!"
"Wow, this is bad." He commented, mulling over what to do. He kind of had to tell Damon. He couldn't leave his brother without a warning when Tyler would be gunning for him now.
"You're gonna tell Damon aren't you?" Caroline interrupted his thoughts and he was surprised for a minute that she could tell what he was thinking before he'd even opened his mouth, but then again, they were hanging out a lot lately.
"I kind of have to," he said but then groaned thinking of what that would mean. "But then Damon might go after Tyler. Damon already thinks all werewolves should die, but now that Tyler will be coming after him..." He looked at Caroline very seriously, "Tyler could really get himself killed here." He wished he could tell her that it wouldn't come to that if he could help it, but that wasn't something he could promise, so he wasn't prepared to put it out there.
And if it came down to Tyler or Damon, or if the Lockwood buy was angry enough, Tyler or Caroline, then everyone knew who he'd pick.
"You need to help me Stefan," Caroline looked up at him pleadingly. "Please. Tyler's my friend, at least try and explain things to him, try and get him to understand...you always know what to say!"
He smiled at that and inwardly wished it were that simple. He wouldn't forgive them easily if he were Tyler either.
"Where is Damon now?" Caroline asked and Stefan frowned.
"He went to pay John Gilbert a visit this morning."
He was about to continue thinking out loud but Caroline beat him to it. "Which means he's probably neck-deep in some Elena related family drama that we can never escape." The blonde rolled her eyes and Stefan raised an eyebrow.
That was interesting. Then again, Elena and Caroline had never really been the best of friends as far as he'd understood. As much as he knew, Bonnie was the glue that held them all together, both girls were friends with the witch but not really with each other. Caroline had told him once in confidence that Elena had always gotten everything she'd ever wanted, especially boys.
"Look," Caroline shook him out of his shock. "I'll go and find Damon and come clean, give him a little warning that Tyler might come after him."
Stefan smiled at that. She hadn't wanted him to know but when it came down to it, she would choose Damon's safety over avoiding his ire. Caroline was around so often now it was like she was a part of their family – clearly she might feel the same way.
"Thanks Care, I'll go find Tyler." He moved to the door, getting his car keys out of his pocket once more. "Try the Grill!" He threw over his shoulder in regards to Damon's location and received a wave in response as the blonde locked up her house and headed to the Fiesta.
The drive to the Lockwood's was filled with numerous undesirable thoughts on Stefan's part as to how this might go. There were various scenarios running through his mind and none of them looked particularly winsome. He wouldn't have a problem with silencing the younger werewolf himself to be honest, it was only the thought of Caroline's reaction that stopped him from protecting their secret in a lethal way.
He pulled up in the Lockwood's driveway, removing the key from the ignition. He didn't bother to knock, merely slipping through the front door and up the stairs – thank god for all the social events that were held here, practically every vampire that visited Mystic Falls had an invite.
He closed his eyes and listened. Carol in the downstairs parlour drinking tea, shuffling papers and Tyler upstairs in another room, the office maybe? Tapping away at the keyboard of a computer.
He slipped into the room quietly and looked at the teenager tapping furiously at the computer, completely oblivious to the presence of another predator in the room until he looked up and sighted him.
"I'm not going to hurt you," Stefan spoke at his alarmed look. "I just want to talk." And if you don't want to cooperate, then I'll kill you he thought silently.
"Why did you break in then?" The werewolf remained on his guard, glancing between Stefan and the door and then back again, no doubt deliberating if he'd make it out of the room on time. Luckily for Stefan he was no match for vampire speed without the full moon.
"Would you have let me in otherwise?"
Before the teenager could answer they both heard Carol's footsteps outside in the hall and Tyler made a dash towards the door, halted in his tracks by Stefan's hand around his throat. He held the boy in the air, squeezing tightly on his windpipe.
"Not a word." He hissed lowly, glancing toward the door and back again. As he heard Carol retreat, not getting a response from her son he dropped him to the ground, watching as he stumbled back, clutching at his airways.
Stefan sighed, he wasn't doing much for the werewolf's confidence in them, considering Caroline had sent him here to basically earn forgiveness and all. "Look, I think we got off on the wrong foot." He started, trying to come up with some kind of half-assed apology as he went.
"What happened to Mason?" Tyler asked abruptly.
Stefan stayed silent.
"You killed him didn't you?" Tyler yelled, getting in his face.
"It was in self-defence!" Stefan spat, "he left us no choice!" He could only pray that Tyler didn't find out Damon…played with him a bit before finally letting him die – let's just say they weren't the best of friends.
Tyler dived towards him, reaching out his hands for Stefan's throat. Twisting mid air Stefan took him by the shoulders and slammed him into the ground hard enough to crack the ancient timber floorboards underneath.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you Tyler." He snarled, bending down to hiss in the were's ear, "without the full moon, you're no match for me." He understood where the boy was coming from, he'd just been thrust into this world alone with no one who understood and no one to turn to but Caroline, only to find out Caroline was hiding his uncle's death the whole time and at the hands of her friends – her kind – no less.
Yeah, Stefan understood. Didn't mean he was going to take shit from the kid though. "Now, you're going to shut up and listen and you'd better pay attention!" He threatened, releasing his grip on Tyler's throat.
"You are going to accept the fact that your uncle's dead, there's nothing you can do about it – there's nothing we could have done about it." Stefan glares down at him. "And for some reason Caroline actually gives a crap about you, so stop being a dick to her about the fact that we killed your uncle."
Tyler's angry stare remained, not budging an inch at the mention of the blonde vampire. "I thought vampires hated werewolves?"
Stefan snorted. "Don't be so close-minded. That's an ideal left over from another time." He slowly released the boy and stood up, expecting the conversation to become cautious but polite all the same, with no further attempts at homicide on the wolf's part.
"As long as you keep our secret, we'll keep yours and we won't have a problem." He resisted voicing the silent 'like your Uncle Mason' that went after that sentence.
Tyler seemed hesitant to agree to anything and had opened his mouth to speak when his cell phone rang. Before Stefan could shoot out a hand to stop him the teenager had already hit answer and screamed, "help! Help!" Down the line.
In seconds Stefan had torn the phone away and crushed it in an iron fist but it was too late, the damage had already been done. "Who's number was that?" He yelled, veins appearing below his eyes. "Damn it Tyler, I'm trying to give you the easy way out here!" He growled, advancing on the werewolf. "Do you want me to kill you?"
After five minutes of holding Tyler up to the wall by his throat and threatening to inflict bodily harm the teenager still hadn't revealed who the call had been from and he couldn't actually do anything that would mark the boy or Caroline would have his hide unfortunately. For some reason she wanted to be friends with the kid.
He sighed, frustrated and tossed him across the room.
"Look," Tyler said, getting up from the ground. "You want to be friends, cool, we'll be friends. Now can you just leave before my friends show up?"
Stefan glowered. "You really think your friends will be any match for me? I could kill you right here, right now." He stalked back towards the boy across the room.
Hi phone rang before he was close enough to do something he'd regret and he frowned as Caroline's caller ID flashed across the screen. "Hey Care, is everything ok?" He asked, holding the phone up to his ear.
"That depends. How bad do you want to keep her alive?" Stefan hissed at the female voice on the other end of the line, clearly not Caroline.
"Who is this?" He spat, keeping an eye on Tyler so the idiot didn't try and run while he was occupied.
"Ask your brother." She replied and it clicked in his mind. Mason's werewolf girlfriend – Jules, that must have been who was calling Tyler earlier. "Where is Tyler?" She asked and he grit his teeth angrily.
"Where's Caroline, Jules?" He sneered, coming to stand in front of the door as Tyler looked anxiously toward it after hearing Caroline's name.
"You made a mistake Stefan," she replied casually, "I'm going to give you a chance to fix it."
"Where is she?" He grit out darkly, fangs itching with his anger.
"Right here, want proof?" And Stefan hears the most gut-wrenching scream. Caroline's scream, filled with pain and he sees red.
"Hurt her again and I'll tear your fucking throat out." He snarls.
"I hurt her again," she replied, "and she's dead. Bring Tyler to me, the clearing by Wickery Falls. You have twenty minutes before she dies."
She hangs up before he can reply.
He glances down at his phone and then back at Tyler across the room before screaming in rage and blurring forward, smashing the boy's head against the desk behind him, dropping him like a rock.
He presses Damon's speed dial and waits anxiously for the three rings to pass before his brother picks up. "Where are you?" He blurts out, frowning as he hears loud background noise. He couldn't still be at the Grill? Had he seen Caroline yet or had Jules gotten to her before him?
"Caught up in a little Gilbert family drama at the moment, can this wait?" He seemed annoyed to even be involved with the usual Mystic Falls drama and it was completely understandable.
"No, it can't." He said. "Jules has Caroline, she's torturing her."
"What?" Damon exclaimed and he heard something fall over in the background.
"She wants to trade Caroline for Tyler but I'm betting it's not that simple. Meet me at the clearing at Wickery Falls, now." And with that Stefan hangs up. He's wishing he'd damn well gotten Klaus number last time he saw him. He couldn't just expect him to pop in and help them with all their problems but he honestly didn't think the hybrid minded too much. Maybe he was bored. A thousand years could do that to you.
It was only a few werewolves though, they could handle that right?
Growling, he lugged Tyler's dead weight over his shoulder and set off carrying the boy, a pained expression taking over his face as he judged it would probably be quicker to leave the Porsche behind and come back for it later. Who knew what could happen before then? What if it hailed? Highly unlikely but still.
He scolded himself for thinking of anything but Caroline and moved faster through the forest behind the Lockwood property – it was the quickest way to the falls from here.
It took him five minutes to reach the edge of the clearing and by then Tyler was starting to stir. He was lurking, waiting for Damon to show up but Tyler coughed, his eyes fluttering open and Jules called out into the woods. "I know you're here!"
He stepped out from the tree line, holding Tyler in front of him like a shield but keeping a tight grip so as not to lose his leverage. "Where's Caroline?" He glared, looking around. The trailer behind Jules, she must be there.
"Locked up tight." The blonde replied, crossing her arms.
"Release Caroline and I'll give you Tyler. Don't make this any messier than it has to be Jules." He replied pleasantly, a false smile gracing his lips. "No one has to get hurt here."
"It's a little late to be waving the white flag don't you think?" She asked, showing no signs of moving towards the trailer and Stefan sighed – he knew it would be like this. The werewolves pack mentality was a pain in the ass, an offence against one was an offence against all of them, there was no way they were going to let him just walk out of here, not after the death of Mason.
"Let me rephrase that," he smirked. "Give me Caroline and then leave town, or I'll rip Tyler's fucking head off." He snarled, letting his fangs slide down and veins pulsate.
She looked sceptical so he thought a little positive reinforcement was in order. Reaching down, he took hold of a struggling Tyler's arm and snapped. Jules made to move forward, jaw dropping open but stopped as soon as Stefan moved his hands to Tyler's neck.
The boy was clutching at his arm, whimpering, still struggling against Stefan's grip.
"I'm not going to ask again Jules," he warned, sensing Damon appear from the trees behind him. He spoke up, not risking a glance back. "Took you a while."
Damon shrugged, "here now aren't I?" He turns to Jules, "where's Caroline?"
The blonde merely shook her head. "Give me Tyler first."
Stefan laughed out loud and Damon shook his head. "Do you even think that's a fair fight?" The eldest Salvatore asked sarcastically. "It's not the full moon, we will take you down and you know it."
She smirked at them then, before whistling across the clearing. "Sure about that?"
Stefan tensed as he felt more werewolves appear from the forest surrounding them. Of course he had been expecting something along these lines, but he hadn't been expecting quite so many. Werewolf numbers were down these days and packs were usually relatively small but there was a fair few here...maybe too many for them to take alone.
"Give. Us. Tyler." She grit out, still trying to keep up a pleasant smile and Stefan smirked.
He turned, looking as if he were going to release the boy but at the last minute ground out, "fuck you." Snapping the werewolf's arm again, further up this time and dropping him as he let out a screech of pain.
The rest of the pack came flying at them then and it became a free-for-all. They're shooting wooden arrows at them and wooden bullets and he and Damon are dodging as best they can, pulling hearts out and tearing heads off but it's not enough, there's just too many of them. He can hear Caroline screaming from inside the RV, begging Tyler to let her out and he snarls furiously, ripping into another were in front of him.
He tries to fight his way towards the van, noticing an arrow heading towards his neck at the last minute and knowing it would be too late to stop it. A hand shoots out then, snatching it from the air and slamming it into the nearest werewolf's head.
He turns to see Klaus looking unimpressed as he tears out another were's throat. While Klaus is occupying them he turns and runs into the RV, slamming Tyler into the wall as he races through the door.
"Stefan! Stefan!" Caroline sobs in relief and he tears off the front of the cage they've held her in furiously. He runs his eyes over her mentally cataloguing for injuries. She seems shaken but ok and he breathes a heavy sigh of relief before taking her wrist and pulling her out of the van.
"Come on, we have to help the others."
She stumbles for a minute but then gives a hard nod and he feels pride rise in his chest. This isn't insecure, neurotic Caroline, this is brave, vampire Caroline, compartmentalising her crap for later and putting it aside to help them.
As they exit the trailer Stefan takes in the scene before him, there are two wolves fighting Damon and another four attempting to take down Klaus. He jumps from the steps, racing across the clearing when suddenly they all drop to the ground, hands covering their heads, screaming aloud.
Damon and Stefan's eyes flick to each other, instantaneously wondering what the hell's going on, but Klaus is looking across the clearing to where a dark man has appeared. Stefan hasn't seen him before, but he's obviously a warlock and by the look on Klaus' face, not one of his.
Why is he helping them then?
"Elijah made a promise to Elena, I'm here to make sure that it's upheld." Stefan's jaw drops and he stares over to Klaus. His brother made a deal with Elena. He knew they'd had their disagreements in the past but to make a deal with the doppelganger, obviously to keep her alive and keep the hybrid from breaking his curse...
Damon notices his shocked look and winces. "Yeah about that, you know how I said I was unfortunately involved in some Gilbert family business today..."
He refrained from glaring at his brother knowing he hadn't had any chance to mention it before, but it was still irking him.
The warlock turned to Klaus then, studying him. "Klaus." He said, sending him a dark glare and Stefan's eyes just about popped out of his head. Was this guy particularly powerful or just stupid? Blatantly disrespecting Klaus?
Klaus merely smirked. "I'll tell Greta you said 'hello'." He crossed his arms and watched on smugly as the warlock's glare deepened. So he was Greta's...father? And they'd taken opposing sides in the original family feud. Interesting...
The dark man turns to Tyler then who had appeared just outside of the trailer, still clutching at his arm. Ignoring the rest of them completely he said, "when your friends awaken, tell them to leave Mystic Falls."
And with that he turned and walked away.
Damon turned and wandered over to where Stefan was standing, clutching Caroline to his side and staring at Klaus a few feet away.
"So, since you interrupted me earlier, how about I go and suss out the rest of this deal from Miss Gilbert?" He smirked and Stefan frowned hesitantly.
"Damon..." He sent his brother a look and the brunette sent one back silently. It's ok, I'm not going to fall in love with her all over again. I'm done. Stefan nods and Damon takes off into the forest, only pausing briefly to put a hand on Caroline's shoulder and squeeze lightly.
Stefan sighed heavily, walking with Caroline still attached over to where Klaus stood. HE ran a hand down the hybrid's back lightly, waiting for the blonde to look at him. "I'm going to take Caroline home, meet me back at the house?" He felt bold asking to see him. It was strange. Klaus did what he wanted and Stefan had to go along with it, until now.
He receives a curt nod in return and Klaus disappears into the blackness. He pulls Caroline into his chest, walking with her the short distance to her house.
"Is your mum home?" He asks quietly as they wander up onto the porch.
"No, she's at work." She looked down and he melted a little.
"I can come in if you want?" He offered hesitantly, not knowing what to do in this situation but knowing that girls usually needed someone.
"I'm fine Stefan." She replied, turning to open the door.
He put a hand on her shoulder to stop her and replied, "you don't have to pretend with me you know?" He looked into her eyes, "anybody would be upset after what happened to you today," he says awkwardly, shifting his feet.
She smiles a little. "Really Stefan I'm fine..." she trails off. "But can you come over tomorrow?" She asks softly and he smiles.
"Of course I can Caroline."
She looks up at him. "Good. Because you've got a lot of explaining to do. This Klaus guy is after Elena...but you're seeing him?" She frowned, confused.
He opened his mouth to protest but she silenced him with a wave of her hand. "I trust you Stefan, I just want to be in the loop, you know?"
He nodded. "Tomorrow." He promised, "I'll explain everything tomorrow." With that, he bent down and hugged her. "Night Caroline."
His heart was swelling in his chest. I trust you Stefan. He hadn't had a real friend other than Lexi and now she was just gone. The wound was too raw to even think about but having Caroline around, having someone who trusted him with everything just as much as she did, even knowing that he wasn't a good person...it made him feel...happy.
When Stefan finally made it home and to his bedroom he found Klaus on his bed and quickly grew alarmed at the hybrid's bloodied shirt, the red liquid beginning to stain his sheets. Klaus' eyes flickered open at his entrance and Stefan hurtled over to the bed, hesitantly pulling at the shirt.
"What did you do?" He hissed, tearing the fabric down the middle.
The hybrid put a hand on his arm, stilling his movements. "Don't be so dramatic Stefan," he went to laugh but it came out as more of a cough. "It's not life threatening."
"You were injured?" Stefan clarified. "This whole time?"
Klaus frowned. "It's only a few bullets," he muttered, "they just won't heal because they're wood."
Stefan glared. "I need to pull them out." He assumed, "why the hell didn't you say anything?" He growled, using the remains of the shirt to wipe away the excess blood, finding six small puncture wounds. A buck shot? They hadn't shattered though?
"I'm not going to die Stefan," the blonde muttered. "Stop being so dramatic and pull them out."
Stefan took a deep breath, bracing himself before pushing his fingers into the hole furthest from the heart, quickly popping the bullet out and moving further inward to the next. Klaus let out a small hiss of discomfort but was otherwise quiet.
He managed to get the first five out without a problem but the sixth was dangerously close to the heart. Even though it wouldn't kill an original it was close enough to make Stefan uncomfortable and it was clearly the bullet that was causing the complications.
He slid his finger down, wincing as it went to the knuckle before he felt timber beneath his fingertips. He flicked his finger, trying to get a grip on the bullet and Klaus groaned in pain. "Stefan!" He growled.
The brunette frowned. "Alright, alright, I'm trying." He avoided Klaus' eyes and the dark glower he was sure he would find, pushing until he could finally get some leverage on the cap, sliding it out with his finger and a whole heap of blood. The hybrid growled and the wound half sealed over but failed to heal completely.
Turquoise eyes blinked open to stare into Stefan's but then shifted down to the ripper's neck. "Stefan...I need blood."
"I'll go and get you some," he said quietly, making to retrieve a blood bag, brow furrowing as he was held in place.
Klaus smirked. "But I want yours."
Stefan pouted. He didn't really have the option of refusing considering the amount of times he'd drank the hybrid's blood to heal but he wished he didn't have to because for some reason the prospect made Stefan feel...attached.
He wanted Klaus. That much he was fairly sure everyone knew, he'd made it pretty obvious and the hybrid seemed to want him, but Stefan wasn't sure how much. How long was this expected to last?
He had spent the last couple of days explaining to Damon why feelings for someone weren't worth being hurt over but at the end of the day should he take his own advice? Wait until he knew exactly where he stood?
Klaus reached up slowly, pulling him down softly by the neck. "You think too much, ripper." And with that, sunk his fangs into the supple flesh of Stefan's throat and the younger vampire was in bliss.
He rolled over, pulling the hybrid with him. Klaus ground his hips down as he drank and Stefan lost all rational thought. He tore the hybrid's mouth from his neck, ignoring the moan of discomfort and pulled him down to seal their lips.
Screw waiting, he didn't care if he was hurt in the end, it would still be worth it. Klaus was worth it.
A/N: So? Hmmmmm? Worth the wait? Want some moreeeeee? I must apologise though, I've started education again this week *groan* so free time is short/updates will be less frequent sorry!
But you know with me that basically means once a week, instead of three times a week, so never fear! ;)