PART 27

"There's only two people who are allowed to call me that, and you're not one of them." Katherine said as she turned to smirk at the person she was addressing. Stefan stood in front of her, his body language was relaxed, and Katherine eyed him as a small smile spread over his face. The small smile lengthen as he stared at her and for the first time, Katherine felt weary of him as the smile turned into an evil smirk. Evil had never been a word she would have associated with Stefan, until now. She didn't recognize the person standing in front of her. This was not Stefan standing across from her. And if he wasn't Stefan, then he was her enemy.

She eyed him, his gaze was feral, and he sniffed the air eagerly. He was out for blood, her blood. Katherine felt her stomach tighten when she thought of what him being here meant, and what the outcome would be. Her eyes stung as she thought that she might have to kill Stefan. She would kill him if it kept him from killing her. Katherine regarded him with a weary expression as he stepped to his left. In response she stepped to her right, and Stefan stilled. "Hello…. Katherine," he said, and his voice was cold. Stefan began walking again across the room, and Katherine mirrored him. Soon they were circling each other. They both crouched down into a defensive position.

Katherine waited for him to show his fangs. Stefan stopped suddenly, and so did she, glaring at him. She saw it when he made his move, baring his fangs and charging her.

Katherine dodged Stefan easily. She turned to face him, her own fangs bared. He charged her again. Katherine grabbed Stefan's arm as he reached out to hit her. She twisted it back and Katherine smiled as Stefan's cry of pain rang out against the walls around her. She let go of his arm, throwing him to the ground. He would live. She kneeled down next to him, and grabbed his hair, pulling his head up by the strands. "Stefan…" she began sweetly, "I love you, but no one shows ME their teeth."

Katherine kissed his cheek and slammed his head down into the floor. She stood to her feet, wiping off her hands and smiling down at him. He turned suddenly toward her and she saw the stake in his right hand a second before she felt it go through her stomach. She cried out when it ran all the way through to her back. Katherine stumbled back. As she hit the wall the stake shifted and she cried out again, gritting her teeth. Stefan stood as he slowly advanced towards the wall she was leaning against for support. Her back slowly began to slide against the wall as gravity pulled her body down.

He kneeled in front of her, turning her head to face him. Stefan smiled into her face. "You always were too cocky Katherine…So sure you had everything figured out." Katherine glared up at him, clenching her teeth. He reached toward the stake, twisting it in his hand, and Katherine cringed when he brought his blood covered hand to his lips and licked his fingers. "Stefan…" she began. "This isn't you…you're not like this," she pleaded. Stefan's smirk did not fall from his face as he closed his eyes to savor the taste of her blood. "Stefan!" she cried. Stefan…look at me!" His eyes never opened as he continued to taste her blood. He wasn't even listening to her, Katherine realized. He bared his fangs at her and Katherine looked away, she couldn't bare to look at the vampire she'd once known. He didn't move and Katherine turned to look at him slowly, his breathing was shallow and his ferocious eyes were fixed on the skin of her neck.

Too late she realized her own mistake. She shouldn't have turned her head away from him. "You're not supposed to kill me!" she yelled through clenched teeth. Katherine knew that Klaus would want her alive. Stefan began to laugh as he raised his hand in the air. Katherine closed her eyes as his hand came towards her face, this was not happening.

"You don't want to do that, brother." Katherine opened her eyes. Stefan's hand was right next to her face and she could see Damon's smiling face over the top of his thumb. "Boy am I glad to see you!" Katherine exclaimed, standing to her feet slowly. She winced as she felt pain shoot up her side. "You're late," Katherine said to Damon. "You're welcome Katherine," he responded smirking sarcastically at her. Stefan turned his attention from Katherine and glared at Damon, walking towards him. "Stefan…" Damon said, swallowing, holding up his hands in front of him. "I don't want to fight you," Damon said into his brother's face.

Katherine watched as Stefan's face shifted back to normal again. Could Damon have broken through, where she couldn't? Stefan stepped up towards Damon. He eyed the person in front of him, but Katherine didn't see any flicker of recognition. Stefan looked Damon over from head to toe, accessing him like he was his next kill. Katherine watched as Damon's face fell and he searched Stefan's features. She saw sadness and despair in his eyes. Damon had figured out the same thing she had. This wasn't Stefan anymore.

Stefan grabbed Damon by his shirt collar, "Too bad," Stefan responded. Damon's face showed surprise for a moment before he was thrown clear across the room. Damon stood to his feet, brushing off his shoulder. "I guess the fight's a little more fair now…hey, little bro?" Damon said. Katherine watched as they both charged each other, and their bodies began to blur. She saw Damon turn Stefan in the air and slam him against a wall. Stefan, in return, did the same thing to Damon. They went on like that until the living room looked like a tornado had hit it. Stefan realized that there was broken furniture scattered around the floor at the same time that Katherine did. She had enough time to yell, "Damon, look out!" before Stefan impaled him through with a table leg.

Katherine watched in horror and fear as blood spilled from Damon's side and he stumbled, collapsing to the ground. Stefan stood over his bleeding brother, smiling, his fangs still bared. He smelled the air and smiled. Stefan reached out his hand and patted Damon's head, "I'm your little brother…" he began innocently. "You can't kill me," he said, laughing. "It's what we were counting on," Stefan said, turning back to Katherine. "Miss. Katherine, there's someone that wants to see you," he said smiling at her. Katherine shuddered as Stefan began to walk towards her. "You're right…" Katherine turned her head to see Damon. He was on his feet, holding his side. "You're my little brother.." he continued. Katherine listened as his voice broke a little and she gave him a sympathetic look. "I can't kill you.." Damon finished.

"But I will…" Stefan heard someone say behind him. He was grabbed from behind and thrown into the wall. He hit the wood with such force that for a moment he almost passed out. Stefan looked up from his crumpled position on the floor to see Elijah standing in front of Katherine. "Hello Stefan," Elijah said as he turned his neck, cracking it. "We've been expecting you," Elijah said smiling, looking sideways at Damon. Damon moved to stand next to Elijah, who stood in front of Katherine. Katherine looked between the two, she was a little confused.

Katherine braced herself on the wall and stood to her feet. She cried out as her newly healing wound brushed the wood. Elijah glanced over his shoulder at her. "Cutting it a little close weren't you?" Elijah asked as he turned towards Damon slightly, keeping his eye on Stefan. Stefan snarled at them, his fangs out, blood dripped from his mouth. Damon didn't answer Elijah, his gaze was on his brother. "Stefan…" he began, holding his hand out low in front of him in an attempt to calm his brother, "You need to chill out," he finished. Stefan's murderous gaze was fixed on Elijah. Elijah regarded him with a look of boredom. He smiled when Stefan charged him.

Elijah speed across the room and with no effort at all, calmly elbowed Stefan in the face. Damon cringed when a crack sounded throughout the room. The blow knocked Stefan to the ground and he coughed up blood at Elijah's feet. "I only want her," he said around coughs, his gaze strayed towards Katherine. She was watching with interest. Elijah reached down and grabbed the young vampire by the shirt collar. "Yes, I know…and the fact that you have information I need is the only reason why you're alive at the moment," Elijah said. Stefan snarled at him and Elijah smiled back at him. "Wrong answer," he said before he threw Stefan across the room again like he was nothing. Elijah brushed his hand off and buttoned his suit jacket, stepping slowly towards Stefan.

Katherine finally understands what's going on and she glares at Elijah. "You played me," she yells at his back. Elijah looks away from Stefan, over his shoulder at her, ""You'll soon put it behind you Katerina," he says, and he's smiling at her. Katherine feels rage boil in her stomach, how dare he. Elijah looks at her for a moment longer, smiling at her anger. Stefan gets to his feet and charges Katherine, still focused on his target. Elijah reaches his hand out to his side and catches him by the throat before he can reach her. He turns his head slowly, and looks at Stefan. "Perhaps, I'm not making myself clear," he says in an insanely calm tone, gesturing with his hand towards Stefan. "I flick my wrist, just the tiniest bit, and you're dead…so, you should do what I say.." Elijah said into his face.

Elijah lets his hold on Stefan go, and Stefan falls to his knees in front of him. Stefan begins to stand up and Elijah knees him in the nose, breaking it. He looks down at Stefan as he straightens his nose, and they all hear the crunch. Elijah turns towards Damon and Katherine and there's no evidence that he's even broken a sweat. His gaze falls on Katherine and he notes that she looks more than a little bit impressed. "Woah..." she says, as her mouth hangs open.

He smiles at her before he sees her glance over his shoulder. Elijah hears Stefan's feral breathing behind him. "Excuse me," he says to Katherine and Damon. Elijah watches as Stefan charges him, "Go to sleep" he says, turning away from the charging vampire. Stefan snarls as he reaches Elijah, and just before he has a chance to grab a hold of him, Elijah turns around. His arm goes out and connects easily with Stefan's jaw, sending him flying across the room, one more time. Katherine and Damon step up beside Elijah as they watch Stefan hit the wall. The wood splinters and caves in around him, and pieces fall to the floor as he slides down the surface, closing his eyes. Katherine and Damon gawk at the now unconscious Stefan. "I'm glad we're understanding each other," they hear Elijah say beside them. Katherine turns to Elijah and raises her eye brows, giving him an amazed, shocked look. She was definitely impressed. Katherine turned back towards Stefan, smiling. She could be mad at Elijah later.

Damon moves a few pieces of wood off his unconscious brother and picks him up gently. It's at that moment that the school goers choose to walk through the door. Elena's mouth drops open as she sees who Damon is carrying. "Stefan," she yells, dropping her bag, and running to her boyfriend.

The rest of the group slowly steps into the room, looking around at the damage that's been done. "What…happened?" Caroline asks, her mouth is hanging open. "Elijah happened," Katherine answers proudly, moving to stand in front of the group. She turns her head away from the sight of Elena cradling Stefan's head in her hands, crying. Damon looks down at his brother, and there's pity in his eyes. Katherine and Elijah both watch as Damon and Elena exit the room. Elijah remembers a time when he could take care of his own little brother, and they were true brothers. Katherine wonders if there's anything left of the Stefan they all know.

Damon sets Stefan down gently in the basement. Elena is crying over them and Damon turns to her, "Elena, leave.." he says. She shakes her head but doesn't move, the tears run passed her hands clasped in front of her face. Her eyes lock on the blood smeared across Stefan's face, and she stares in horror. "Elena!" Damon says this time more forceful, and louder. She shakes her head that she understands, and kisses Stefan on the forehead, before she turns to leave. Damon kneels above his brother, turning his face towards him.

His mind flashed memories in front of his eyes and he had to look away from the blood-smeared face of his little brother. Damon stands and moves to the door, he stares at Stefan for a moment longer, before he slams the door, bolting it behind him. Stefan doesn't move the whole time, as he watches him through the bars. He had not expected it to, but the plan had worked, as Elijah said it would. Damon's mind turned to that afternoon, a couple weeks ago. He had followed Elijah out after he'd argued with Katherine and he'd learned what his plan was…

Damon hurried his steps to catch up with Elijah. It wasn't very often that Elijah moves quickly, but when he did, he was hard to catch up with. "Wait up," he shouted, yelling at Elijah's retreating back. Elijah did not stop until he reached the edge of the forest. When he did, he turned toward Damon, and waited for him to catch up. "What gives?" Damon asked. Elijah looked towards the house and saw that the door was shut, and no one had followed them.

"Klaus has always been two steps ahead of us," he began, his voice was stern. Damon nodded his head in agreement.

"Regardless of what he has planned next, the fact remains that he still wants revenge, he always has," Elijah continued.

Damon pursed his lips in understanding, and said, "Katherine?" "Yes.." Elijah agreed, "He wants Katerina."

"But he will not come after her as long as she's in that house." Damon tilted his head and waited for him to continue.

"Right now, she's under someone's protection, he paused, looking down before he continued, "…mine."

"She's under MY protection, and despite how strong he's become, Klaus will not make a move against me, not now, when there's too much for him to loose."

"So…," Damon questioned, "You're leaving?" Elijah grew quiet.

"Do NOT tell, anyone…Damon, especially Katerina," he said, stepping into Damon's face to show he meant business. Damon eyed the vampire in front of him, tilting his head to scrutinize him.

"When I leave, it's your responsibility to protect them, all of them." Damon heard what Elijah said, but he knew who he was specifically referring to.

"I won't let anything happen to her," Damon said, in an assured tone. Elijah stared at Damon, before he nodded his head, and turned to leave.

"Where will you be?" Damon questioned Elijah's retreating back.

"Not far…" "I never am," Elijah finished. Damon took a moment to wonder what he meant, but when he looked up Elijah was gone.

Stefan stirred on the ground and the sound brought Damon out of his thoughts. He watched his brother as his brow furrowed and his fingers clenched. He would need blood soon. But he'd be damned if he got it. One way or another he would get his brother back.

The thought that maybe he could trust Elijah filtered across his mind, but he dismissed it. It was way to early for that. It was true that there was more to the elder vampire than Damon had first thought, and he may have given him his brother back. But for now Damon would just sit back and enjoy the show. So far, it had been anything but boring.