A/N: Woo, long update! 5,000 words :) Thanks for all of your reviews and support! I couldn't ask for better readers.

Chapter Twenty Nine - My Paper Heart Will Bleed

"Heather Whitaker, age thirty one, was found brutally murdered in her apartment this morning in Charlotte. Medical examiners are saying that she was beaten to death with a baseball bat. The police are investigating the scene, and have been left stumped by the lack of evidence left by the killer. The mother of an eight year old son-."

I turned the television off, not wanting to listen to the depressing news report. Partially because it made me upset, but mostly because I had a hunch who was behind it, and the thought made me feel rotten inside.

Flipping onto my back, I laid on the couch for a while, simply staring at the ceiling.

I tried not to think; all I had been doing for the past twenty four hours was thinking. I hadn't gotten a wink of sleep since I'd woken up in my room with Kol yesterday afternoon. I ached and I felt like someone had ripped my heart from my chest. I had downed an entire bottle of vodka single handedly; I'd never been one to drink my sorrows away, but last night it had seemed appropriate.

A fierce hunger clawed at my stomach. I hadn't fed in a while, and healing the bullet wound had taken a lot out of me. I couldn't bring myself to care, though. The vodka had numbed the hunger, but as the effects of the alcohol wore off, it made an urgent return.

Holding my hands out in front of me, I touched the tips of my fingers together mindlessly.

My biggest fear was that I was just a joke to Kol. A game, a toy for him to play with until he got bored. He had practically confirmed that yesterday. I had thought that, maybe with everything we'd gone through together, he might have changed. I was naive to have thought that he would convert from his ways just for me, a silly girl.

Gently, I began to trace up and down my bare arm, goosebumps rising on the surface of my skin. It provided a soothing feeling.

My throat grew thick. I was ashamed that I had spent so much time thinking about him. Every moment had been a waste. Why should I put so much thought into it when I knew he wasn't doing the same for me?

I clung on to the fact that had hadn't expressed his feelings verbally, but hope was slowly starting to dwindle as I picked everything apart with my mind.

Stop, I told myself, but even it was mild.

"Stop right now. You do not need to sit around all day and sulk." I had started talking aloud to myself (a sure sign of madness). I sat up, swallowing my self pity, and stood, hands on my hips. "You don't have time to be sad. You need to be strong. Strong for Elena and Jeremy. Strong for yourself."

After I gave myself a pep talk, I sunk back onto the couch.

I'll be strong later.

It was still pretty early. The sun's new light was filtering through the drapes and into the house, and the grandfather clock's small hand was perfectly aligned with the seven. The boarding house was warm, but there was a certain chill in the atmosphere that left me feeling despondent.

I checked my phone for any new messages. None. I had been checking it religiously, hoping to hear from Rebekah, who had gone suspiciously quiet. I figured that something had happened to her; whether it was serious or not, I had no way of knowing. Fortunately, there wasn't much that could hurt her. I believed that Klaus had something to do with it, as he had something to do with everything.

A car pulled into the Salvatore's driveway, and I listened as the engine cut off, and footsteps shuffled against the pavement. I half expected Damon or Stefan to calm sauntering in, but was surprised when I saw Caroline walk through the front door and into the sitting room.

"Caroline," I said, straightening myself. I kicked a blanket off of my legs and sat up. "Is something wrong?"

"What isn't wrong?" she sighed, flipping her blonde hair behind her shoulder and dropping her purse on the floor. She waved a tray in her hands, displaying two cups of coffee for me to see. "Nothing at the moment. I just thought I'd come by and see how you're doing." She looked at my nest of blankets on the couch and an empty bottle of vodka by my seat with unimpressed eyes. "Not too good?"

"I've had a rough couple days," I admitted, patting the seat next to me.

She took up my offer, sitting beside me and handing me one of the disposable coffee cups. "Did you hear about the woman in Charlotte?"

Biting my lower lip, I nodded. The smell of black coffee had raised my mood a notch or two, but the mention of Heather Whitaker brought it down five.

Caroline studied me with an unwavering gaze. She paused, before asking, "What do you think?"

"I know," I said dejectedly, looking down. "I know it was Kol. Who else would murder a woman so close to Mystic Falls with a baseball bat? But... it hasn't been been confirmed yet, so I don't... I can't..."

"Alright, we don't have to talk about it."

Inhaling slowly, I let my thoughts slowly dwindle away. I took a sip from the cup, wincing when the hot liquid scorched my tongue, but it didn't stop me from taking another huge gulp.

"You don't look so hot," Caroline said tentatively. She eyed my disheveled appearance for a moment. "Have you been, you know, feeding?"

Shaking my head, I admitted that I hadn't.

"That's not good," she chided. But before she could continue her speech, my cell phone vibrated on the coffee table.

Reaching for it, I groaned. My fingers curled around it and I brought the device to my ear, answering it when I saw Damon's name appear on the screen.

He didn't even give me time to answer. Immediately, he fired, "We have a problem."

Given his tone of voice, I instantly knew who was in trouble: Elena. It had to be. There was only one person Damon used that tone of urgency for.

"What?"

"Jeremy got stabbed in the throat."

His words took me by surprise. Caroline, who was listening to the conversation from beside me, made a horrified expression. I watched her for a moment, unable to even comprehend Damon's words. A gut-wrenching feeling sprouted inside of me, choking me. I crushed the cup of coffee in my hands, spewing hot liquid all over the floor.

I spouted, "What do you mean? Oh my God! By who? Was he wearing his ring?" Words fell out of my mouth before I could stop them.

"Yeah, he's fine. Traumatized, but alive."

Climbing to my feet, the spilled coffee dripped down my bare arms. "Who did it?" I shouted, my voice rising volumes in all but a second.

Damon paused, unsure of how to continue. His hesitance only made me angrier.

"Who stabbed him, Damon?"

Faces came to mind, names echoing within my brain. It was unfortunate that I knew of so many people who would want to bring harm to my brother.

"Elena."

Her name was not one that had come to mind.

Caroline covered her mouth with her hand.

There was a pregnant pause, and then I snapped, "I'm coming over." I hung up the phone and turned to the blonde vampire next to me. "Take me to my house, please."


I stood on the sidewalk in front of my home for a moment, trying to steady my erratic thoughts. The stench of blood wafted in the air, making my empty stomach twist in knots. The fact that it was Jeremy's blood made me want to vomit, but I controlled the nausea.

Caroline had dropped me off, telling me to give Jeremy a kind message of regard. She had other business to attend to with Tyler. I was alone as I walked onto the porch and through the front door. I could hear Damon muttering to himself, and the smell of ammonia mixed with the coppery scent of blood. I assumed he was cleaning up whatever mess Elena and Jeremy had left.

Jeremy was in the kitchen, sitting at the table with an unreadable expression, an untouched breakfast in front of him. Blood stained the collar of his shirt and his neck. I snuck up on him, startling him when I touched the top of his head affectionately.

"Madeleine," he said, relieved, his voice coarse.

I ran my fingers through his hair gingerly. "How are you feeling?"

He frowned slightly, and said thoughtfully, "Probably the same way you felt yesterday after getting shot in the throat."

"You're probably right." I sat down next to him. "Where's Elena?"

"Upstairs arguing with Stefan," Jeremy answered, his tone almost bitter. "Madeleine, she stabbed me in the throat."

Words failed me as I tried to comfort him. Trying to lighten the tense atmosphere, I said jokingly, "I'm sure it was nothing personal?"

He looked straight ahead, ignoring my joke as if I hadn't said anything. "She looked me right in the eye, and stabbed me."

"Jer," I began softly, "Elena killed Connor. He was one of the Five."

Jeremy turned and glanced at me, willing me to continue.

"If you kill one of the Five, you become cursed. You see things, feel things that aren't really there. I don't think Elena meant to hurt you. She must have thought you were someone else."

"I know Elena would never hurt me," he said. "I know she loves me. But... I just have this really bad feeling now."

"Why don't you get washed up?" I advised. "Didn't Bonnie sign you up to help at the school today or something?"

He thought about it for a moment, and then nodded. "Yeah, you're right. She did."

"Go get ready."

Jeremy stood slowly, his eyes flickering between me and the stairs. He made to say something, but stopped himself, as if he were torn between telling me and not saying a word. Finally, he said, "Do you see anything on my hand?"

He lifted his hand, and I studied it. Then, I shook my head. "No. Why? Did you hurt it?"

"No," he replied. "I didn't." He turned and walked up the stairs, leaving me slightly confused. I let it go, deciding that he was just disoriented.

Just as he exited, Stefan entered the room, seemingly distraught. "Is she okay?" I asked him.

His jaw was rigid and his eyes steely. "She won't talk to me. Madeleine, how much do you know about this Hunter's Curse?"

"Not much," I admitted. "I know that it's pretty gruesome, and you see violent hallucinations. I think that's why she attacked Jeremy. I think she didn't see him, but someone else. Probably Connor. Do you want me to talk to her?"

Stefan shook his head, leaning against the table, breathing in heavily as if he had been waiting all morning to catch his breath. "She's showering now, but I don't know what effect the curse will have on her, or how long she'll have it.

Damon turned the corner, shuffling into the kitchen with a blood-stained rag and a bucket of hot water mixed with cleaning fluids. He tossed the cloth into the sink and placed the bucket down, facing both of us with a cautious expression. He deliberated, "Don't we need to worry about her, I don't know, stabbing someone else? Especially someone who doesn't wear a magic ring that will bring them back to life?"

"Klaus is the only one who knows anything about it," Stefan said dejectedly.

"And we all know just what good terms we are on with him," Damon snorted. "I'm surprised he hasn't come kicking down doors yet."

Stefan took out his phone, peering indecisively at it. "Speak of the devil."

"Ooh, it's time to face the music. Pay the piper." Damon's eyes widened with malicious pleasure.

Crossing my arms over my chest, I leaned against the kitchen island, raising my eyebrows at him.

"You know, I'm glad you're enjoying this," Stefan retorted sarcastically. "But if he finds out I told you about the cure, he's gonna kill both of us."

"Then quit avoiding him. You're being shady." Damon discarded a bloodied dish rag into the sink, after wiping off his hands. His sleeves were pulled back, revealing his stained hands and forearms, tinted by the blood. "Shady people get outed."

Stefan answered the phone, his brother leaning forward to tune in. I tried to listen to their banter, but I found that my supernatural hearing was failing me. My face fell; it was only a matter of time. Going without feeding had its many downfalls.

They went back and forth for a moment, before there was a knock on the door. Not expecting it, I jumped a little, and looked at Stefan wildly as he hung up his phone. "Klaus is here?" I gaped.

Unable to respond, both Salvatores looked at the front door.

"What do we do?"

Stefan put his phone down, hissing in frustration. "He's the only one who can help Elena."

"Klaus doesn't help anyone," I muttered acidly. "And he certainly doesn't help anyone for free."

Seemingly torn, Stefan looked to Damon.

He sighed. "Go see what he knows. What he wants. Maybe he can at least point us in the right direction."

Pushing in front of Stefan, I stalked to the door and pulled it open, somewhat aggressively. Klaus smirked, tilting his head slightly at the sight of my wrinkled nose and distasteful expression.

"Madeleine, how lovely to see you," he began in his accented voice. He sounded uncharacteristically calm, considering the circumstances.

"Lovely isn't the word I would use," I snapped.

Stefan eased me through the doorway, shutting us both out of the house and bringing us on to the porch with Klaus.

"You know, this would all be more civilized if you had the courtesy to invite me in," he mused.

"It's bad enough I'm out here talking to you," Stefan said to him rigidly. "Tell me everything you know about this curse."

Klaus looked at the both of us with calculating blue eyes. "If there is one thing you direly need to know, it's that you should be very worried for your beloved." Straightening himself so he was above both of us, he began, "I killed the original Five, you remember. When one kills a hunter, there is a bit of a consequence."

"What consequences?"

"The Five were spelled by witches to kill vampires. If you prevent one from fulfilling its destiny, it will take you down with it."

"Violent hallucinations, ghostly hauntings, we've heard it all," I said dismissively, chewing my lip impatiently. "How do we make it stop?"

"I'm afraid that there isn't any way to stop it," Klaus sighed. "But Connor being dead won't stop him from making her his final vampire kill."

Mulling over his words, I was struck with dread. Was the curse so terrible that it would drive Elena to the brink of sanity, and coax her into taking her own life?

"She'll have to come with me," he finished briskly, folding his hands coolly. "I'll keep her locked away, safe from harm, away from any sharp objects."

Snapping out of my train of thought, I pointed a threatening finger at him - as if I'd be able to do him any harm, especially in that state I was in. "Like hell you'll take my sister away."

His eyes were unblinking and venomous, like the cold eyes of a snake. "Madeleine, you don't look so well. I fear that if a strong gust of wind were to bluster, you'd fall right over."

My fists tightened into balls.

Just then, a commotion broke out inside of the house. Elena burst through the front door, yelling something unintelligible. In a flash, both she and Klaus were gone, the atmosphere falling into a terrible silence.

Stefan cursed.


"Come in, Bonnie," I said distantly, allowing the witch into the house and shutting the door behind her.

Bonnie's boots shuffled against the hardwood floor as she made her way past me, holding herself to keep her arms warm. I hadn't really noticed the cool weather outside; temperature never exactly bothered me anymore.

"How are you?" she asked. "Is everything okay?"

Shaking my head, I replied stiffly, "No, it's not."

Kindly, she reached out and touched my forehead. "You don't look so well."

"As I've been told. But that's not the major concern at the moment," I informed her, my voice hushed. "Come into the kitchen."

Soon enough, Stefan and Damon had filled her in on all of the recent happenings. Her face was filled with abhorrence and her fingers curled around the back of a chair tightly. "You lost Elena?" she exclaimed, mortified.

""Lost" is a strong word," Damon said. "I prefer the term "misplaced"."

"I'm more worried about what Klaus said about the curse," Stefan fretted, biting his finger anxiously.

"How does Klaus even know about any of this?" she questioned.

Damon replied with a shrug, "How does Klaus know anything? He's, like, a billion years old."

"He said it was a witch's curse," I told her. "That's why we called you here. We were hoping that you could help us."

"You know I would if I could," she said, her tone less harsh, glancing at me. "But the spirits won't allow me to use the kind of magic I'd need to lift a curse this powerful from Elena. I can talk to Shane about it, he knows everything there is to being a witch."

"Good." Stefan picked up his jacket and started towards the door.

"Where are you going?" I fired, following him.

"To get Elena back."

"I'm coming with you," I said determinedly.

Stefan shrugged. "Suit yourself."

We crossed the lawn, with me trailing behind him. He pulled out his cell phone again and dialed someone's number, one he had on speed dial, and brought the device to his ear. "Caroline," he started. "Klaus has Elena, and we need you to drive him and his hybrids out of the mansion. I know what I'm asking is probably close to impossible-."

He was cut off by her sweet voice. Then, when she had told him everything he needed to know, he hung up.

"Hop on," he said, gesturing towards his motorcycle.

I touched the seat gingerly, my heart rate rising in anticipation. I had never ridden a motorcycle before. I waited for Stefan to climb on, adjusting the helmet on his head so it was just right, before I swung myself on to the seat and took the helmet he was offering to me.

"Ever ridden one before?"

I shook my head.

He gave me a small, unexpected grin before facing forwards, kick starting the bike and revving the engine. I hadn't believed that Stefan would be able to conjure a smile when facing adversity. It made me grin in return. My arms snaked around his waist as the motorcycle jerked forward, and we started down the empty street. My hair flapped in the wind and my jacket billowed behind me as we gained speed.

For a moment, I forgot what was wrong.


"I smell blood," I said quietly to Stefan as we stepped into the Mikaelson mansion.

"It's not Elena's," he replied instinctively. "No one we know."

Turning out of the foyer and into a sitting room, we found the source of the stench; dried blood stains marked the furniture and carpet, and spattered the walls. My lips curled back in disgust.

"Kol came to visit last night," came Tyler's voice behind us. I whirled around to face him. "He had a busy night last night. I'm not sure where he went, but I haven't seen him around."

My stomach lurched, but I composed myself. He wasn't why I was here.

Looming behind Tyler was a tall, dark-skinned man, perhaps in his late twenties. He eyed the both of us with distrust, leaning slightly forward, as if he were ready to act immediately if his services were needed. Tyler glanced at him, as if to say it was alright to loosen up.

"Where's Klaus?" Stefan asked impatiently.

"At the Grill. We sent Caroline to... you know."

I could tell by the way Tyler's voice trailed off that he was uncomfortable with Klaus' attraction towards Caroline. Yet, while I knew Caroline to have nothing but unswerving loyalty, I believed that he should be more worried about the attraction Caroline harbored towards the original hybrid. It was undeniable, heard in the way she said his name and how she became tense every time he was brought up in conversation. As much as I detested Klaus, I couldn't be judgmental towards Caroline; after all, I supposed I was in a situation similar to her own.

"Good. If anyone can distract him, it's her."

"This is Chris," Tyler said, introducing the man beside him. "He's one of Klaus' hybrids. He's not sired to him anymore, like me. Hayley helped him break the bond. He's the one in charge of the hybrid's guarding Elena." He exaggerated my sister's name.

"All you have to do is give us access to her," Stefan told him quickly, toning his voice down a bit. "We can take it from there."

"And as soon as you do, you can skip town. Get out," Tyler told him.

Chris shifted uncomfortably. "Yeah, until Klaus sends another one of his hybrids after me."

He promised, "Hayley and I've got your back. We'll make sure nothing happens."

Dark eyes swept over Stefan and me. He seemed to be debating with himself in his head, weighing the options. Finally, he turned and started down the hallway, beckoning us to follow him. Stefan and I complied.

We went through a maze of corridors; I had never really comprehended how big the mansion was. Pausing behind a corner, per Chris' instructions, we waited for him to dismiss the other hybrids guarding Elena's room. Then, he handed Stefan a key and, with a brief nod, left us be.

"I'll go in, you watch the door," Stefan directed, inserting the key into the lock. It clicked and the door moaned, slowly creaking open, the hinges groaning in defiance. He merged into the room; Elena sat in the center, folded into a ball, hysteria written all over her face. "Elena?"

Shock overpowered the hysteria and she crawled backwards several feet. She was hallucinating again.

As I watched Stefan try to calm her, I recognized a certain aura in the atmosphere. It reminded me of how I felt when I was manipulating Connor's sight, and controlling the illusions of myself. Eyes widening, it dawned on me that I might actually be able to reverse the effects of the curse, or at least repel it.

Elena broke off a piece of the bed, jabbing it through Stefan's abdomen with brutal force. I winced as blood squirted from the fresh wound, staining the floor.

I entered the room. "Elena? Elena, it's me."

Her wild eyes found me, and they softened in relief. "Madeleine," she breathed. "You have to help me."

I could feel the energy in the room. With enough focus, I was able to keep it from touching me, and prevented it from changing my appearance. I released my breath; I hadn't realized that I'd been holding it.

Elena saw me for me.

But I could feel it physically draining me. With each passing moment, my power over it dwindled away. Quickly, I said to my sister, "Elena, nothing you see is what it is."

"I keep seeing Connor," she sobbed, reaching for me. "And Katherine."

Grasping her hands in mine, I said, "In a moment, I'm going to lose control over the curse. Right now, you see me for me. But in a second, I'm probably going to change."

"Your nose is bleeding," she said, voice suddenly hushed. Her pupils dilated, and she inhaled sharply. Tentatively, she pointed her finger and touched the small drizzle of blood leaking from my nostril.

No, I thought instantly, stepping backwards a few paces, covering my nose. Stefan made a painful sound as he ripped the piece of furniture from his bloodied stomach.

It was too late. She had caught the scent of my blood.

And, like an elastic band snapping back at me, I lost control over the curse.

Ripping forwards, she lunged at my throat. I tried to deflect her but I had exerted myself too much; I barely had any strength reserved anymore. Falling onto my back with a harsh thud, a loud snap filled the air. Something had broken, a rib or something. She held me down firmly with one hand, fangs elongated and eyes bloodshot. Unable to fight back, I succumbed to her, waiting for her to plunge her fangs into my throat.

When I opened my eyes, she was gone.

Stefan had collapsed against the wall, breathing heavily. Slowly, he climbed to his feet, staring down at his torn and blood-stained shirt.

"Damn."

Laying on my back, unmoving, I stared at the ceiling for a moment. I was in severe discomfort, but I couldn't bring myself to readjust my position. Something pressed against my skin unnaturally; a broken bone of some sort. I was in such bad shape. Gingerly, I touched the blood that had collected beneath my nose. I briefly studied the contrast of the crimson fluid against my skin.

"Are you alright?"

Was I? I had used up all of my remaining energy. How much more could I stress myself before I finally ran out of juice and keeled over?

"I don't know," I confessed. My voice was uncommonly airy and light.

"Madeleine?"

Elena had somehow managed to escape the urge to drink my blood. Either it was improvement, or the curse had simply deterred her. It didn't matter; I was grateful. If she had, I wasn't sure I would have had enough energy to restore myself.

"Madeleine?" Stefan repeated. By now, he was on his feet and approaching me. "What's wrong?"

Trying with uncommon difficulty, I tried to articulate my words. "I broke something. I haven't fed in a long time, Stefan. I can't heal myself."

Gently, he scooped me up into a sitting position. His eyes ran over me as my head lolled slightly to the right, coming to rest against my shoulder. His hand brushed against my cheek.

The skin-on-skin contact created an animalistic urge inside of me. The barbaric hunger that dwelt in me ripped through me, famished. As Stefan observed me, the close proximity began to drive me insane. I could smell his breath, hear his heart beat, feel the heat of his skin. I lost a sense of control that I hadn't lost in a long time. It was like the night of the homecoming dance, with Zane. My mind argued with my instincts, but in the end, it was nature over conscience.

Like a rag doll coming to life, I intertwined my limbs around him and pulled him towards me, crashing my lips against his.

It was different than any other kiss I'd experienced; I could tell he genuinely did not want to kiss me, and the feeling was mutual. As I melded our lips together, I felt nothing romantic or sensual towards him, like I had with Kol. It was simply an act of survival.

Stefan didn't react right away. I had taken him by surprise, and his green eyes widened with shock. But understanding swept through him and soon he became more receptive.

I felt like a glass being filled. My skin grew hot as I became more lively, and I breathed a sigh of relief when my rib restructured itself together. Holding him to me, molding myself into him, I forgot who he was. I forgot where I was and why I was there. All that mattered in that moment was that I was starving, and he was a meal. I was cold, and he was a warm fire. I was dying, and he was a source of life.

Things began to grow intense. I could sense his discomfort in the way he responded to my advances stiffly. Pulling away swiftly, I was left gasping. Awkwardly, I let my hands drop. I apologized, "Sorry. Sorry, that was terrible for me to do. I just-."

Stefan looked at me sympathetically. "It's okay. I understand."

I sent him a thankful glance, before standing up. I hadn't realized how awful I had felt before, until I was replaced with the refreshing sense of satisfaction and renewed vigor and strength. It was as if my eyes had been shut before, and now they were open and seeing everything in a new light.

"Getting cozy in here, are we?"

His accented voice caught me by surprise. Turning to face him, I found his expressionless face from beneath the door frame, his eyes on his hands as he played with the daylight ring on his finger.

"Kol," I sighed, straightening myself.