Chapter 26

As they entered the forest something felt wrong. "Wait here Care, someone is here." Stefan said as he reached in the back of his car for a stake.

"Now, now Stefan, is that really how you greet old friends." A tall man said as he began to walk towards them, the man had a thick British accent, his hair was a reddish blonde, his face was sharp, his eyes were pure evil.

"Who are you?" Stefan said gripping the stake tightly in his hands.

"In all good time Rippah. I need you and your little girlfriend to do me a favour. I see that Katrina has held up her end of the deal, I am pleased." The man replied, grabbing a hold of Caroline and stroking her cheek.

Stefan grimaced at the mention of ripper, he was furious when the man grabbed Caroline, "Let her go, I'll do whatever you want just don't hurt her." He yelled.

"hmm, I won't hurt her, she is far too sweet. You will come with me Rippah, we have work to do." The man said dragging Caroline with him to an SUV parked farther down the path, Stefan running behind them.

"I will keep this fair maiden as a bargaining chip, as for you I have plans for you brother." The man said emphasising strongly on the word brother. Stefan felt sick, he reached out to attack the man. The man snapped Stefan's hand away at lightning speed, "You will not do that again, I am much older than you, much stronger than you. You will obey me, do you hear." The older vampire said to Stefan, Stefan felt as if he was being compelled, like when he was human with Kathrine.

"I will obey you." Stefan said almost robotically, the words forced from his mouth, he had no control.

Caroline screamed. "Now precious you are not going to scream any more, you are not going to move from this car" the evil vampire compelled her. Caroline slumped into the back of the car, her whole body frozen. The door was slammed, Caroline was terrified, she reached into her pocket and got out her phone, text Elena help! Stefan and I are in the woods, some crazy guy has caught us and trapped us. I don't know what to do Elena, help!

Caroline was shaking, this day just seemed to get worse. Outside the car the older vampire stood talking to Stefan.

"Now, you are going to come with me, we have a lot of work to do before tomorrow night. You are going to help me capture your brother, the Bennett girl and of course Elena." The way the man said Elena's name made Stefan sick, it was then he realized who this man was. "Klaus! You are Klaus aren't you!" Stefan spat out.

"You are a perceptive creature aren't you. You need to stop with the questions it could get you hurt. Now, your going to phone your brother, tell him you met a big bad vampire in the woods and he needs to come and rescue you." Klaus said, Stefan felt faint, he couldn't bring Damon out here, Damon was human or close enough, but Stefan had to obey Klaus he couldn't break the compulsion. He reached in his pocket and took out his phone calling his brother. – Ring- Ring

"Hey Stef, is everything alright?" Damon answered his voice sounding groggy, 'he must be sleeping' Stefan thought to himself.

"No. I need you to come out to the woods, Klaus is here, he wants Elena. Damon, I need your help he's captured Caroline." Stefan said.

"Jesus! Fuck! I'll be right there, I am going to bring Bonnie okay, we need a witch, she's been practicing she can do this thing that demobilizes vamps. I am coming brother, please don't do anything stupid." Damon said as he rolled over looking to the girl beside him.

Elena had stayed at the boarding house with him that night, they had made love repeatedly. Damon felt so complete with her, he couldn't lose her. Not now. He reached down and placed a kiss on her forehead. "I love you, you are the only light in my life. I will fight for you." he whispered into her hair. He got a pen and paper and wrote.

Elena,

My love, I had to go and help Stefan, Klaus is here. Bonnie and I are going to fight him. You need to stay here, I have put Vervain syringes in your purse, keep them on you at all times. Do not let anyone in the house. Sweetheart I love you. Please stay safe.

All the love

Damon.

He sighed as he set the letter down on his pillow. He grabbed his clothes off the floor, his pants were close to the bed, he laughed to himself realizing that his shirt, socks, and underwear were scattered throughout the room. It had been a wild night of love making. After all the stress of the day he and Elena had unwound the only way they knew how, by having wild and ravenous sex.

As he got to the living room he pulled out his phone, calling the young witch. Ring- Ring

"Hello?" Bonnie answered sleepily.

"Bonnie, I am sorry to wake you, but its time, we need to go out to the woods. Klaus is here." Damon said.

"I am on my way to your house Damon." Bonnie said hanging up the phone. She shrugged out of her pajamas and got into some heavy fall clothes. It was cold outside, the wind clipping her heals as she walked to her car. Bonnie couldn't help but have a feeling of dread wash over her as she drove over to the boarding house.

Damon was waiting outside for her carrying a duffle bag, he climbed into her blue 2007 Prius.

"Okay, lets go. I brought some Vervain water and some stakes. I have no idea if any of this will work on this guy, I mean your Grams said he's an Original or whatever that is?" Damon said nervously.

"We will figure it out Damon, we have to, for Elena's sake. Did Stefan say anything else about this guy?" Bonnie asked as they reached the outskirts of the forest. The heat coming from the ground, mixed with the cool of the night had set a fog over the dark trees. Bonnie felt a chill deep inside her.

"He said that Klaus has Caroline." Damon gulped, his own body felt cold looking into the forest. As a human Damon had been a coward, walking away from the war when the going got tough. He felt those same feelings coming to a head. He pushed them back down. 'I need to be strong for Elena.' He thought to himself.

"Oh my god, poor Care!" Bonnie said as they got out of the car, the cool night wind slapping them.

"Okay, we need to stick together Bon-Bon. Its dark out but I can still see really good, hold my hand okay?" Damon told the young witch, extending his hand out to her.

"Okay, where do you think they are?" Bonnie asked taking a hold of Damon's hand, it was softer than she expected.

"I don't know I've got to listen and see if I can hear anything." Damon said perking his ear. He heard soft footsteps in the distance, and a voice he didn't recognize.

20 yards away….

"Come on now Rippah, you need to drink these blood bags for me." Klaus said as he threw another bag of human blood at Stefan, Stefan gagged as he forced another one down. On the ground beside them the whole floor was littered with empty bags of blood.

"Gahh, please Klaus I can't drink any more, I can't control myself, please let me stop." Stefan pleaded with the Original.

"No, until you embrace who you really are Salvatore, you will drink bag after bag." Klaus said throwing him another bag, knowing that the younger vampire couldn't resist.

Damon's eyes went wide "No! Oh, Fuck no!" he yelled. Pulling Bonnie with him he began to run.

"Damon slow down! I can't keep up with you." Bonnie pleaded.

"We have to get to him, Stefan can't control the thirst, Klaus is forcing him to feed." Damon was panicking. He had seen what could happen when his brother fell off the wagon.