AN: Thank you for the kind reviews it really helps to get these. People have questions about what happened to Elena and it will be revealed in the near future. So please stick with me and find out. I would like to personally thank my Beta-Reader SassyWriter26 for all the hard work and being a sounding board for my ideas. I really enjoyed writing this particular chapter and I hope you enjoy the slight twist at the end. I did try to subtly hint some about it in a earlier chapter. Please leave a review or drop me a PM if that is not your style I would love to hear from you.

Founders' Hall
October 10, 2010

Damon tried to stand waiting patiently for the arrogant Original Hybrid who'd rather reluctantly followed him into the first available room. The phone call he first got from Liz Forbes had led to a frantic call to his little brother, and what Stefan had just said to him mere moments ago terrified him.

"Damon. So what is it now? I've already told you I'm looking for my little doppelgänger. You see we had an binding agreement and she needs to uphold her side of our bargain. If you and your friends continue to interfere there will be consequences. And just now you just pulled me away from a fascinating conversation about landscaping the Town Square."

"Long story short, but a reliable friend of mine just spotted Stefan driving out of town with Elena. And before you ask I just called him and he said this his next move." Damon lied trying to paraphrase his rather heated conversion he just had with his brother. Who Damon had finally admitted had clearing moved into boarding just outside crazy territory.

"Well, he's getting desperate. Just where have you two been hiding her?"

"Seriously!?, I've been looking from the moment I found out she went missing. Stefan at the time acted as if he no longer cared, and if I had to guess, he probably stashed her somewhere. It should be obvious that he's gonna try to use her against you. Do what he says, get rid of your hybrids." Damon seethed.

"Mate, this is a rather weak attempt to manipulate me. Stefan would never dream of killing her." Klaus said. The older Salvatore surprised him by stepping even closer to him.

"You sure about that? He apparently has been hiding Elena from her family and friends with none of us the wiser. Old Stefan would never have gone this far. He's operating on crazy right now." Damon's voice trembled his nerves were too tightly coiled.

"Well, crazy or not, that kind of love never dies. He's bluffing." Klaus said, his tone not bothering to hide the disdain from his voice. Damon had to get Klaus to listen to him and the only thing he could do was get right into Klaus's face and he had never been the type to back away from a challenge.

"Maybe he is, maybe he isn't. But if you don't want to believe him, believe me. I know my brother better than anyone, and right now, I don't have a clue how far he is willing to take this. So if he says blink, I suggest you blink." Damon said and backed out of sight, leaving Klaus to his own thoughts.

20 Minutes Later

Stefan glanced over at his passenger, then dialed Klaus's number before switching his cell to speaker and then just waited for the megalomaniac immortal to pick up. He had taken a risk by hiding what he was doing from his brother and Elena's friends. But none of that mattered now, Klaus had pushed him into doing something he would have never considered. But he never thought Elena would see the darkness that was always inside of him either.

"Stefan, how nice to hear your voice." Klaus's British accent grated on Stefan's nerves but he had to proceed with his threats. He had nothing left the monster on the other end of the phone had destroyed his one chance of happiness.

"Tell your hybrids to get out of town, Klaus." Stefan ordered.

"Well, that's not gonna happen until I get my family back."

"Okay, well then I'm gonna drive your blood source off Wickery Bridge." Stefan said then quietly started counted the seconds of dead silence, bracing himself for what he had to do next.

"I don't believe you, Stefan. You won't kill her." Klaus laughed, and Stefan gripped the steering wheel tighter. Did he think I'm lying? He bristled.

Stefan bared his teeth and tore into his wrist and then forced it into her beautiful mouth. He hated doing this, but the Original Hybrid had finally pushed him into it. He pulled his wrist away knowing she'd only gotten a mouth full at best, but that was more than enough.

"No! No! No! What are you doing?" Her voice sputtered as she tried to spit his blood out of her mouth. He'd warned her that he was going to do it, and she hadn't believed him. A dark part of his soul actually enjoyed that he had proven her wrong.

"Stefan! What's going on? So help me if you-" Stefan was getting tired of the entire conversation and cut Klaus off.

"I just fed Elena my blood. No more hybrids if she's a vampire." Stefan said speeding up the car. It was getting close and one of them had to blink first.

"You won't do this you still love her." Klaus's voice sounded strained, and it almost brought a smile to his lips.

"You killed that love she once held for me when you made me bite her. But go ahead and try me, because your coffins are next to go. Say goodbye to your family, Klaus."

"Stefan, slow down! Stefan! Stefan, stop it!" She screamed, trying to open the door. Good, he thought, Klaus should clearly hear her fear. He was tired of playing by Klaus's rules. He just needed to keep the Original Hybrid reacting to him for only a few more minutes.

"Fine. I'll send them away. You win." Klaus offered too quickly, and Stefan resentfully wondered if Klaus had ever once had any sort of respect for him. Or had he always been just another pawn in his fucked up game?

"Stefan! Stefan, stop! I… I don't want to die Oh God No… Please!" She screamed.

"Stop the car, Stefan!" Klaus yelled. Stefan silently counted to five before finally slamming on the brakes until his car skidded to a squealing stop. There was momentary silence in the car's interior with the only sound of two pounding hearts and when he finally glanced at his phone to confirm that the line was dead. He could scarcely believe it, he actually had won against the bastard. He took a slow breath before looking over at his passenger.

"What would you have done if he had called your bluff, Stefan?" Katherine asked, studying him appreciatively and just knowing she was looking at him like that made his skin crawl. But he knew what he was potentially getting into the moment, he'd even contemplated contacting her. If Elena hadn't gone missing he would've had to use her and that realization stung, but he really didn't have a choice anymore. Just as he didn't when Klaus had forcibly taken away his humanity.

"I was prepared to sell it to the end it's only an car." Stefan told her. He briefly relished her obvious alarm before shifting his gaze to the bridge, which was now only ten yards away. Klaus had really pushed him to the literal edge enough that he would even think of making a deal with the devil herself.

"You know she'll probably never forgive you for even pretending to use her as a pawn like you did, but then again she has always been the weak one." Katherine said in a manner he knew was purposefully intended to touch a nerve.

"So tell me Stefan, where exactly is little Elena right now?" Katherine's voice purred. And so help him, he wished he could still vomit.

"I really do not know or care for that matter. Damon is dividing his time between helping me in screwing over Klaus and looking for her he hasn't slept for the last two weeks." Stefan smiled.

"Well, Damon is going to kill you when he hears what you supposedly just did to poor little Elena Gilbert. If on the off chance he doesn't don't forget you owe me and I will someday collect. But for now drop me off by my car I need to put as much distance between me and this godforsaken town." Katherine sighed. Then leaned closer to him, taking in his scent.

"You know you should come with me. After that little stunt Klaus is going to hunt you down, coffins or not." Her lips purred seductively near his ear.

"I'd rather be staked, then go on the run with you, Katherine. Now do us both a favor and get out of my car I have things to do?" Stefan said acidly. The hurt expression from his so long ago lover didn't even phase him. But the simple fact she bore the very same face as the latest one tore great strips of guilt into his undead heart.