Chapter 11: Birthday Blues

******The Same Night at the Salvatores'******

After everyone had vacated his house, Damon looked at his brother and the slayer left behind. The tension was so thick that Damon couldn't control his snicker. "I guess I'll leave you two love birds to work out your issues. Don't get any blood on my carpet!" Damon ordered as he strolled out of the room.

Faith eyed Stefan warily. Why did some vamps have to be so incredibly sexy? Both Salvatores were two of the finest specimens of men she'd laid eyes on in a long time. However, she knew firsthand how hot Stefan was. She refused to make the same mistake that Buffy had made more than once, so she went on the attack.

"So do you make a habit of cheating on your girlfriend or am I just special?" she asked him.

A pained expression came across his eyes, and he looked away a moment. Then he said, "No, I've never cheated on Elena before. I would never normally do anything to hurt her."

"Then why did you? I know I'm pretty hot, of course, but I've never tempted a loyal vamp boyfriend before. They don't usually stray," Faith said, thinking of Angel.

"Klaus compelled me to forget about Elena and have fun," Stefan admitted.

"Compelled? What do you mean? Mind control?" Faith asked with a frown.

"We can compel humans not on vervain. However, we can't compel other vampires. Only an Original can do that," Stefan said.

"So you interpreted his orders has sex with me?" Faith asked with a smirk. "I'm flattered!"

Stefan didn't say anything for a minute. He just gazed at her. Finally, he said, "I'm sorry."

"For what?" Faith asked.

"For trying to bite you. For using you," Stefan said.

"Hey, I used you just as much, stud, so no worries," Faith said. She put her empty drink down. "So is your girlfriend going to forgive you?"

"It doesn't matter. We're over," he replied flatly.

Faith frowned. "Do you not love her anymore? I mean I know I rocked your world good, but I don't do flowers and candy. I'm not into commitment and labels," she informed him.

He gave her a half-smile. "I don't recall proposing," he said dryly. "I love Elena more than I've ever loved anyone. She's the best thing I've ever had in my very long life. However, she deserves so much more than me. Since meeting me, her entire life has been one nightmare after another."

"Well, good things in life don't come easy," Faith said. "B and I both will testify that being called to be a slayer is often nothing but horror and loss and pain. But it is also power, exhilaration, excitement, and so much more."

"I just can't do it anymore," Stefan said warily. He couldn't keep disappointing her.

"Do what? Be a good man? Be a good boyfriend? If you're a good man, you'll be a good boyfriend. If you're not going to be good, then you're going to die," Faith said, reminding him why she was with him to begin with.

"It's that easy, huh? You could just stake me and move on?" Stefan wondered.

"Well, that is what I do," she said with a careless shrug. She got up. "It'd be a shame to kill such a pretty face, but I will if you don't get it together. It's been a long day. We'll talk more tomorrow about how to get your bloodlust under control. I suggest you take your brother's advice. Grab a blood bag."

"The problem is, I can't stop at one," Stefan shared, looking grim.

"Well, you're going to learn. Maybe you should only drink under supervision or something," Faith suggested. "Good night."

Stefan watched her leave the room. He ran a hand through his hair. When did his life get so complicated? Faith was unexpected, but he loved Elena. And it was killing him that he'd hurt her. He went up to his room determined to get his blood-lust under control. If he ever wanted Elena to give him another chance, he had to be the man she deserved again.

******The Next Day******

A tired Elena was woken up by the ring of her cell phone. She opened her eyes with a groan. After crying herself to sleep, she had a restless night sleeping. It was too early to be awake, and she was exhausted. However, she reached over and grabbed her phone.

"Happy Birthday, Elena!" Caroline chirped.

"Aggh! Why are you calling me so early?" Elena griped.

"To wish you a happy birthday. Duh!" Caroline said with a giggle.

"There's nothing really happy about it, Care. My parents are dead. Jenna is dead. Stefan cheated on me, and I have an Original psycho killer who is going to flip his lid when he discovers I'm still live. So what exactly do I have to be happy about?" Elena asked crankily.

"Oookkay," Caroline said, drawing it out. "I am coming over. Be there soon."

She hung up before Elena could reply. Disgruntled, Elena closed her phone and threw off the covers. Maybe she'd have time for a shower before Caroline intruded.

When she got out of the shower, Caroline was sitting on her bed reading a magazine. Elena frowned at her. "Make yourself at home," she said crossly, grabbing clothes out of her dresser.

"I am," Caroline replied, unabashed. She waited until Elena dressed. The she said, "Are you okay?"

"No, Caroline, I'm not," Elena said. She began to comb out her hair.

"Well, you'll feel much better at your party tomorrow tonight," Caroline said.

Elena put down her comb. "I am not going to Stefan's house. So cancel the party. I didn't want a party anyway, Caroline, but you never listen. I'm not going over there, and if you were my friend, you wouldn't even ask," Elena said firmly.

Caroline got up. "But all the arrangements are made," she said in protest.

"Fine. Have the party. Just don't expect me to be there. How do you not get it, Caroline? Stefan cheated on me while I was at home worried to death about him. That's after he went on a killing spree. Having a party at his house is the last thing I need," Elena said.

"You know it was Klaus. He probably compelled him or something," Caroline said. "Because the Stefan I know would never look twice at another woman."

"I'd like to thinks so, but it doesn't matter. Stefan doesn't want to be with me anyway," Elena said sadly.

Caroline gave her a hug. "Hey, he's being really stupid. Don't let it ruin your birthday, Elena. You're the first one of us to turn eighteen. You're an adult now. We should celebrate that," Caroline said.

Elena sighed. She hated arguing with Caroline. It was usually a losing battle. "Care, I really don't want to see Stefan anytime soon," she said.

Caroline's mind raced as she tried to figure out a way to salvage things. Finally, she said, "How about we move the party to Tyler's? His house is big. I'll tell Stefan that it'll be better if he not come."

Elena couldn't help but feel guilty about that. "That seems mean. He needs his friends if he's going to get himself under control," Elena said.

"He has his friends. Besides, Buffy made Faith stay there to keep an eye on him," Caroline shared. Then grimaced as she realized how that would make Elena feel.

"So the girl he cheated on me with is now staying at his house? Wonderful!" Elena said sarcastically. She sat down on her bed.

"Don't worry. I'll go by there and make sure the slutty slayer knows to keep her hands to herself," Caroline said.

"You don't have to do that!" Elena said.

Caroline grinned. "I know," she said. "It'll be fun!"

Elena smiled and shook her head. "You love to live dangerously, don't you?"

"You know it!" Caroline said, grinning.

******A Few Blocks Away******

Buffy came out of her room with a yawn. Willow had picked out a very comfortable bed for her. She walked by the study on the way to the kitchen and blinked. Giles was in there, of course. However, he wasn't alone. Alaric was there with him. The two men were pouring over old books. Buffy instinctively put her hand to her messy hair and grimaced. She was about to turn around and head back to her room when Giles spotted her. Great. It was too late to retreat.

"Good morning, Buffy!" he called. Alaric looked up and smiled at her. He had one of those slow, sexy smiles that probably had girls chasing him everywhere he went.

"Good morning. I see Giles has sucked in another disciple," Buffy said with a rueful smile.

"Alaric is a history teacher and knows quite a bit about the occult," Giles said. "And he's spent time as a vampire hunter. Not a common combination."

"It's been awhile since I killed any vamps. I spend most days drinking with one," Alaric said with a sardonic smile. "However, I did get the honor of daggering Elijah, Klaus's brother the first time. Only a human can dagger one of the Originals. The magic will kill a vamp. Or so we're told."

"It's probably better to veer on side of caution with that, I'd imagine," Giles said.

"Well, Damon doesn't believe much the witches say since they tend to hate vampires, but I convinced him to let me do it," Alaric said.

"Why did you want to dagger Elijah? From what I heard, he sounded fairly sane," Giles said.

"He is. But Damon doesn't always listen to reason. According to him, all threats must be eliminated," Alaric said. "He saw Elijah as a threat to Elena mainly because he didn't trust him."

"Was he trustworthy?" Giles asked.

"Actually, he was. He saved Damon's life three times and never tried to avenge the other times we daggered the poor guy," Alaric admitted with an embarrassed smile. "But in the end, he couldn't do it. He couldn't kill his brother. Klaus promised him something he couldn't say no to."

"What?" Buffy asked. She found the tale of Klaus's brother very compelling.

"To reunite him with their family," Alaric said.

"Do you think he did?" Buffy asked.

"We don't know much yet about the rest of their family. So I'm not sure. However, from my experience with Klaus, he's completely conniving and highly manipulative. He probably daggered his brother as soon as he didn't need him," Alaric said.

"What a pity," Giles observed. "I'd like to meet him. Think of all the history he's seen first-hand."

"I'm sure he's the life of the party," Buffy said dryly, thinking he was probably pompous and boring as Giles could sometimes be. "I was on the way to the kitchen. Any coffee made?"

"Yes," Giles replied.

"I could go for another cup myself. Do you mind if I join you?" Alaric could help asking.

"Sure," Buffy said. So he sees her at her worst. It could only improve from here.

While Buffy was getting a bowl of cereal, Alaric poured two cups of coffee. "How do you like Mystic Falls?" Alaric asked.

"Too soon to tell, but I'm not picky. I lived on a hellmouth for seven years. My high school graduation's high point was when the mayor turned into a giant snake and ate our principal," Buffy said flippantly.

"Seriously?" Alaric asked not sure if she was joking.

"Not even kidding. I literally armed the senior class. Those that survived fought their way through a horde of vampires and the mayor-snake," Buffy said. "So your town is very nice in comparison."

"I'd say so," he said dryly. His mind was trying to process the grim picture she painted with such casual ease.

"How long have you lived here?" she asked.

"A little over a year," he said.

"How did you end up in Mystic Falls?" she asked.

"Long story," he said.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to pry," she said even though she wanted to know everything about him.

"No, it's okay. It's no secret. My late wife Isobel spent all her time studying the occult and superstitions. I thought I saw her killer and tracked him here," Alaric said.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"I thought my wife was dead. We never found a body, but I saw her being drained by a vampire—the first one I ever saw—the night she disappeared," Alaric said.

"Did you get the vamp?" she asked.

"Not exactly. I tried, but he broke my neck," Alaric said. When Buffy looked confused, he held up his ring. "This ring is a Gilbert heirloom that protects the wearer from being killed by supernatural forces. Damon was the vampire. We found out it protected me when he broke my neck the first time."

"The first time?" Buffy asked in dismay. "He does that a lot?"

Alaric frowned. "Too many times. He doesn't always think," Alaric admitted.

"Yet you're friends," Buffy observed. She smiled. He obviously had a soft heart. "Don't you know how to hold a grudge?"

"I tried," Alaric said with a sheepish smile. "It's impossible to stay mad at Damon. He just never gives up. He always there with a drink and a smirk. And he makes me laugh."

"I was with a guy like him once. Spike was always in my face. When I finally stopped beating him up, I realized I felt something more with him," Buffy shared.

"Well, Damon and I are just friends," Alaric said quickly.

Buffy couldn't hold back her laugh. "Oh, I know! I was just saying. Damon's wit and arrogance reminds me of Spike. Usually the quick wit hides much deeper things. I bet your friend is much more than a pretty face," Buffy observed. Spike had constantly surprised her by having her back and eventually giving his life for them all.

"Yes, sometimes he is. Other times, I want to stake him myself," Alaric said, smiling. Buffy laughed again, enjoying his company. They shared a look of mutual understanding.

Their private interlude was interrupted by the appearance of Willow. "Hey, guys. Any coffee?" she asked, her eyes barely open.

"Yes, Will. Are you sure you're awake enough to pour a cup?" Buffy asked, smiling at her befuddled best friend.

Willow yawned. "Dawnie and Caroline were up half the night. Then when Caroline finally left, I kept dreaming up ways to kill this immortal vampire," she said.

"What'd you come up with?" Buffy asked.

"Well, if you beheaded him and buried the head away from the body, he should die," Willow said.

"Good point," Buffy said with a grin.

"Or we could cast a spell that decimates him and lock him up somewhere," Willow said.

"Decimate? What is that exactly?" Buffy asked.

"Killing without killing basically. He'll be powerless and look like a corpse. I guess like he would if he was daggered. However, from what Bonnie says, the daggers won't work on him. Magic will though. He's not invulnerable to me," Willow said with a grin.

"Our secret weapon," Buffy said with pride.

"If he's dumb enough to come back here, we'll be ready," Willow said with confidence. "I know just what to do."

"I'm counting on it!" Buffy said happily.

******At the Salvatores******

Caroline went into the Salvatores will more trepidation than she normally had. However, she wasn't going to let some slutty slayer come in and mess up her friends' lives. She found Stefan in the living room sipping a drink.

"Isn't it a little early to start hitting the sauce?" she asked in concern.

"You know it helps with the cravings. I've got to figure out a way to get myself under control," Stefan replied.

"I'll say," Caroline said, sitting down next to him. "What's got into you, Stefan? I can't believe you went on a killing spree and cheated on Elena! What were you thinking?"

"I wasn't, obviously. I was driven by pure instinct and hunger. Klaus made sure of that," Stefan said bitterly.

The two vampires were oblivious to the intruder who had come in through the back of the house undetected. The intruder decided to linger in the hallway a bit and see what he could overhear.

"I can't believe Klaus would make you do something some part of you didn't want to do," Caroline said doubtfully.

"You're right, Caroline. That's exactly it. There's a darkness inside of me that I can't deny anymore. For all my lectures to Damon and pretending, I can't hide what I am. I'm a killer. Elena deserves so much better!" Stefan said bitterly.

"Elena loves you, Stefan. And once classes start back next week, and she sees you every day, she'll forgive you," Caroline said.

"I'm not going back to school, Caroline. There's no point. Willow will be there as a teacher. She's more than capable of handling any threats to Elena," Stefan said. "Why torment myself? Or her?"

"Well, it's true that your presence is upsetting now. But she'll get over it," Caroline said confidently. "She doesn't want to have her birthday party here tomorrow, so I'm going to move it to Tyler's."

"Good. It's hard enough. I don't want to see her for a few days," Stefan said.

"So you can spend time with your new slutty slayer?" Caroline asked pointedly.

"Faith is here to help me," Stefan said.

"Did someone say my name?" Faith asked as she suddenly appeared. She looked at the blonde girl. "Caroline, right?"

"Yes, this is Caroline," Stefan said, hoping to ward of any comment Caroline might have.

"I came by to check on Stefan. He has me to help him. He doesn't need you and your slutty slayer vibes," Caroline said, getting up and facing the slayer.

"Excuse me?" Faith said, taking a step toward her.

Stefan got to his feet and quickly stepped between the two girls. "Let's calm down!" he suggested.

"She shouldn't be here, Stefan. If you really care about Elena, you'll make her leave," Caroline said with her arms crossed resolutely.

"Listen, Barbie or Blondie or whatever you're called, Stefan can't make me do anything! Buffy's in charge, and she said one of us should stay here," Faith said.

"Yeah, and I bet you jumped at a chance to be near Stefan!" Caroline snarked.

"Stefan, control your friend before I give her the beating I never got to give you," Faith said getting angry.

Caroline stepped forward, knocking Stefan's hand away. "Go ahead and try! I bet I could take you!" Caroline said confidently.

Klaus, observing from the hallway, couldn't help but admire the baby vamp's courage. She was fierce and loyal to her friends. Two traits he greatly admired. And the fierceness made her look even more attractive.

"Ladies! Calm down!" Stefan said.

"I dare you to try!" Faith challenged, moving into a fighting pose.

Caroline wanted to knock the smug slayer's smile off her face. However, before she could take a swing, a voice interrupted, "As much as I'd love to see the two beauties face off, I don't think now's the time."

The three of them turned and looked at the intruder. When they registered who had joined them, their faces each reflected various degrees of shock and dismay.

Klaus stepped closer. "Ah, Stefan, I see you were unable to kill the slayer after all. But I'm sure you tried," Klaus said with a knowing smirk.

Faith immediately moved in front of both Stefan and Caroline to face off with Klaus.

He grinned at her telling movement. "I don't think we've been properly introduced. I'm Niklaus. Most people call me Klaus," he said. He offered Faith his hand.

Faith looked incredulous. What was this vamps game?

*****To Be Continued*****