Chapter 39
Stefan was blinded by the flashing light that burned his eyes; he struggled with all his might to open them. He needed to see her one last time. His eyes ripped open and suddenly he wasn't in Bonnie's cabin, he was at the Founders Ball, dancing with Elena no wait Katherine he could see himself twirling her around as she giggled softly, her laugh was infectious and he loved her laugh or at least he thought he did. Katherine pulled him with a tug into a secluded room where she brandished him with kisses. At first he returned them eager to please her but then a flash of blonde made him glance up. They were in a room full of mirrors and he swore he could have seen a pair of grey eyes looking at him. Katherine tugged gently at the nape of his neck.
"What's wrong?" She whispered softly.
He glanced down into her brown eyes and for a second he marvelled at how in love he was with her. Until her pupils dilated and she began telling him not to be scared and that they would go on as usual. But it didn't work, the spell was broken he couldn't look into those eyes no more and declare his love for her. His heart belonged elsewhere. Somewhere different, away from malice and cold to a place filled with warmth and sunshine.
"You don't want me and you don't want her?" Katherine spoke gently as she pointed to a large oval mirror behind him.
He turned his head and glanced into the same brown eyes, only lighter than Katherine's but still the same. The same eyes he had once loved and re loved. Elena. Her head was tilted to the side and she was looking at him sceptically.
"You don't want, Katherine. She only knew how to abuse you. Your love for her wasn't real. It was real with me." Elena spoke from the mirror before stepping out like a mirage from it. She walked up to him and reached for his hand, pulling him away from Katherine.
"Your love for me is real. It is real, Stefan. I never compelled your love. You gave it to me freely." She whispered as she wrapped her arms around him.
His body wanted to cave into her touch, to return her gesture of warmth and love but he couldn't do it. He was about to tell her that there was something wrong until he heard her voice. He turned to look at Elena but watched as she faded out his arms, like smoke drifting away. Stefan turned to look for the voice but he saw nothing only darkness.
"Katherine!? Elena!?" He shouted into the darkness.
"She was made for you, to die for you." A voice whispered from the darkness.
At first he didn't catch the words but then the whispers became louder and began to resonate in his ears until he could hear them clearer.
"She was made for you, to die for you. She was made for you, to die for you. She was made for you, to die for you."
"What does that mean?" Stefan began shouting again, louder this time to rid the voices piercing his ears.
Then the voices stopped completely. An instead of the deafening noise he was met with silence. Then suddenly a pair of greys eyes flashed before him. He lost his footing and fell backwards on to the floor with a hard thud. Stefan tried to move but his body was limp and he couldn't feel any of his limbs. He glanced around panicked; he could not see anything in the darkness. He didn't know how long he waited, lying there but suddenly like a flood light she appeared. Her beauty made his breath falter but it wasn't only her beauty it was as if he could feel and see her soul. Where Katherine and Elena were beautiful in their own way this woman that stood before him now was completely flawless inside and out. He wanted to reach out and touch her porcelain skin, run his hands through her beautiful blonde locks and kiss her lips and feel engulfed with her essence. Stefan tried to reach out towards her but he couldn't, it was like she was out of reach for him. Suddenly Katherine appeared out of nowhere behind this beautiful woman , and pierced her neck with her fangs , drinking from her , spilling her blood on the floor as it flowed down her neck , gentle at first but then it gushed out until the woman's skin turned ashen and fell to the floor in a heap.
"No. No. No." Stefan screamed, free from the invisible bounds he gathered her into his arms. Stroking her delicate face willing it to turn porcelain again, for the pink flush to appear on her cheeks and for hair to shine golden and radiant instead of limp and dull.
"Why did you do this?" He screamed at Katherine whose mouth was covered in blood.
Katherine moved closer towards him and kneeled beside him, cupping his face in her hands.
"She was made for you, to die for you, Stefan." Katherine whispered darkly before piercing her teeth into his neck. He could feel his life slipping away as he held onto the beautiful woman, willing her to live to take his place.
"Stefan! Wake up." Damon's voiced pierced the darkness.
Stefan opened his eyes wearily. His brother was standing above him looking at him with fear and something else. Something Stefan couldn't put his finger on but he had known he had seen it before in his brother's face.
"Where am I?" Stefan spoke groggily. His throat was sore, almost as if he had been screaming.
"You were having a nightmare. A delusion I think." Damon answered handing him a tumbler filled with scotch.
Stefan took a sip and closed his eyes when the liquor burned the back of his throat. Yes it had been a nightmare. He noticed that his body was drenched in sweat and his hands were shaking as he placed his glass down on the bedside table.
"How long have I been out?" Stefan asked after a few minutes.
"At least three hours. Bonnie and the boy have gone home. It's just you and me brother." Damon answered as he seated himself on the edge of the bed.
Stefan could remember Damon telling Bonnie and Jeremy to go home. And then he remembered him saying that Caroline had left because her mother needed her before he passed out, no doubt a consequence of the bite on his neck that was oozing blood, his blood as he moved to sit up in the bed.
"Is Liz okay?"
Damon glanced down at the floor. Guilt swarmed him but he knew if he told his brother the truth, all hell would break loose. His brother would not accept Caroline's sacrifice and he would lose his brother forever. Something Damon had feared his entire life. He never wanted to lose his brother. His brother was his everything. Damon wouldn't have had the courage to face the world alone. Even though he and his brother had always been at odds with each other there had never been a single moment where Damon had considered ending his brother's life or allowing to come to harm.
"Liz was hurt. I told Caroline she needed to be with her mom. She's coming back for you once she's seen to her mom." Damon lied.
Stefan nodded. Damon had ever right to do that. As much as he wanted Caroline with him, he knew how important her mother was to her. A part of him hoped that Caroline would not return he didn't want to put her in this situation he didn't want her to see him like this. But the selfish side of him wanted her to be there. So he could see her one last time. See those beautiful eyes and feel her warmth again.
"I'm glad you told her to go." Stefan answered.
"So what were you dreaming about, brother?" Damon asked trying to avoid anything and everything to do with Caroline.
Stefan frowned and looked at his brother.
"You didn't take a peak while I was out?" Stefan asked curious.
Damon shrugged.
"I remember the hallucinations. Didn't want to relive it again."
"But you're asking me about them. Which means you want to know?" Stefan chuckled softly.
"Well you know I did go to college in Oxford and I did study Psychology, so I figured we could delve into your dreams and see what we make of them." Damon laughed uncomfortably.
"You went to Oxford? I doubt you did any studying." Stefan smiled.
Damon gave him a knowing look before speaking;
"Well I was a little busy with the co-eds and the sultry hot professors but I did pay attention every now and again."
"I dreamt about, Katherine. The founder's ball. We were dancing then I guess something weird happened..." Stefan shrugged. He didn't know what to exactly tell his brother or if he should tell his brother full dream but Damon could see the hesitance in his brother's face.
"You can tell me. No matter how fetish or strange it is." Damon prompted.
"I don't know. Katherine just attacked Caroline and said that she was made for me to die for me."
Damon felt his stomach disappear. How was it possible that Stefan could have a dream like that? Something that portrayed so accurately what was happening.
"Weird huh?" Stefan asked after his brother didn't answer him.
Damon couldn't do it anymore. He stood up hastily from the bed.
"Damon?" Stefan asked, seeing that his brother was nervous and skittish almost as if he was on edge about something.
Damon looked at his brother. He needed to tell his brother the truth about everything. From beginning to end. His brother deserved to know that the woman he loved wasn't coming back and that he wasn't going to die, that she was going to find a way to make him live and live a life without him.
"Stefan, there's something I need to tell you. Caroline has ..." Damon began but was interrupted by a large bang.
"What was that?" Stefan asked confused as he climbed out of bed.
Stefan and Damon both walked towards the source of the noise. The front door of the cabin was smashed in. In the panel of the door stood, Klaus with a devilish grin and his hand wrapped around Jeremy's neck.
"Sorry about the door. But I was going for the dramatics." Klaus said.
"What do you want?" Damon asked.
"The doppelganger has disappeared and Jeremy here tells me you might know where she is."
"Where is Elena?" Stefan turned to Damon.
Damon ignored his brother and stared coldly at the hybrid.
"Don't know where she is. Now hand over the boy." Damon growled out stepping forward.
"Tsk Tsk, so impatient. Believe me all I want to do is snap both your necks but your little witch owns the house and well my friend, who also happens to be a witch has her in a trance. So I can't come in. I'm not invited." Klaus said as he gestured behind him.
Damon saw a beautiful blonde haired woman, with her hands on Bonnie's head, chanting in a foreign tongue. She wasn't the only one; there were four hybrids as well two on either side of Klaus.
"That's a nasty bite, Stefan. I could cure you but it comes with a price. And I'm getting impatient. So either talk or the boy's head rolls." Klaus smiled evilly as his grip tightened around his throat.
"She's with Katherine." Damon answered aware that they were in a bit of a mess.
No one had expected for Klaus to rock up. But Klaus could heal Stefan, and perhaps there would be a way to safe Caroline but Damon knew what he had to do. He had to sacrifice, Elena for his brother's sake.
Klaus tossed Jeremy to the side and grinned.
"Well let's go find them then. I don't think I need to ask you to come do I?" Klaus chuckled before turning on his heel.
Stefan looked at Damon puzzled.
"Do you know where Elena is?" Stefan asked.
"Not a clue." Damon answered as he stepped out the house.
"Why do I have a feeling this is not going to end well?" Stefan sighed as he followed suit.
Before Damon could answer, Klaus's hybrids grabbed them and shoved them into a truck, alongside Jeremy and Bonnie who was unconscious.
"There's the answer to your question brother." Has the hybrids closed them in the truck and they were left shrouded in darkness.
An: So I'm back and hopefully this time for a long time. Thank you for all the readers who have continued to support this story and me. You guys are awesome and I really appreciate it. So thank you again. So Problematic is coming to an end soon , I'd say give or take five more chapters to go. I will be posting on Thursdays from now on so please keep a lookout. Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Will see you next week
CCThevampireLover