A/N The Vampire Diaries Settings and Characters all belong to LJ Smith and the CW. Any original characters and this story are copyright © 2011-2018 to Hopelessromanticgurl, all rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the author.


They shared a kiss and fell into a deep sleep. Stefan was happy Elena was home safe and sound right where she belonged.

The next morning Stefan woke up groaning as he cell phone rang loudly.

"Ello?" he answered.

"It's me. You and Elena need to get over here as soon as possible." Lexi said.

"Ok." Stefan yawned. Then he hung up. He sighed softly and woke Elena. He waited as she showered and got dressed before they quickly left the house.

As they entered, Lexi was waiting for them. "Thanks for coming."

They followed her into the living room. Elena froze when she saw Rose standing there. She gasped and stepped back.

"Elena, it's ok. She's one of my oldest friends. You're safe she won't hurt you. In fact, she's here to help you." Lexi said.

"She's the one who…who…"

"I'm sorry," Rose said. "I just wanted to stop running and be free with my brother…I…I'm sorry. Please. I don't ask for you to forgive me or even trust me, but please just listen to what Lexi and I have to say."

"Do you trust me?" Lexi asked her.

"Yes." Elena nodded.

"Then you can trust her. I know it will take time, but she won't hurt you. She's my oldest friend." Lexi said.

Sighing Elena nodded and sat down on the couch with Stefan next to her. "So what's going on?"

"Okay, you have to understand I only know what I've picked up over the years, and I don't know what's true and what's not true. It's the problem with all this vampire stuff, but Klaus, I know he's real." Rose said.

"Who is he?" Elena asked.

"He's one of the originals; he's a legend…." Damon said.

"…from the first generation of vampires." Lexi continued.

"Like Elijah?" Elena asked.

"No. Elijah was the Easter Bunny compared to Klaus. He's a foot, soldier. Klaus is a real deal." Rose said.

"Klaus is known to be the oldest," Lexi said.

"Okay, so you're saying that the oldest vampire in the history of time is coming after me?"

"Yes," Rose answered.

"No," Stefan said right after trying to keep her from being scared.

"What they're saying is, I mean if what she's saying is true…

"Which it is," Lexi said.

"And you're not just saying it, so I don't kill you."

"Which I'm not," Rose said.

"Then we're looking at a solid…maybe."

"Look, Elijah's dead, right? So no one else even knows that you exist." Stefan said seeing the look of fear on her face.

"Not that you know of," Rose said.

"That's not helping," Damon muttered.

"Look, I've never even met anyone who's laid eyes on him. I mean, we're talking centuries of truth mixed with fiction. We don't know if he's real. For all we know he could just be some sort of stupid bedtime stories."

"Yes you have, you just don't know it yet," Lexi whispered.

Stefan looked to her confused but then back to Rose as she spoke.

"He's real, and he doesn't give up. If he wants something, he gets it. If you're not afraid of Klaus, then you're an idiot." Rose said.

"Aright, we're shaking. You made your point. Can I kill her now?"

"No!" Lexi growled. "Leave her alone.

Elena stood up and started to leave.

"Where are you going?" Stefan asked.

"School. I'm late." She answered.

"Let me grab my stuff, I'll go with you," Stefan said.

"It's okay; I know where it is." She faked a smile and walked out the door.

"She's in denial," Damon said to Rose.

"Shut up, Damon," Stefan said. He looked to where Lexi had been to ask her about her previous comment, but she was gone.


A few blocks from the house Lexi caught up with Elena.

"You know school is in the other direction," Lexi said.

Elena stopped and turned to face her. She didn't speak.

"You and I both know you aren't going to school. I know where you are going, and I'm not letting you do this. Elena, it's a bad idea."

Elena shook her head. "I need answers, Lexi."

"She's a liar how do you know she'll tell you the truth?" Lexi asked.

"I'll give her something she wants. As long as I stay outside the tomb she can't hurt me. Besides she weak from the blood loss."

"It's a bad idea, Elena."

"Lexi, I need answers. I need to find out more about Klaus and Katherine know more about him. I need to do it without Stefan trying to sugarcoat everything. I love him, and I appreciate him trying to comfort me and keep me from being scared, but I need to know what I'm up against."

"Katherine isn't the only one who has experience in dealing with Klaus," Lexi said.

"Rose has never seen him; she's just heard of him."

"I'm not talking about Rose," Lexi said.

Elena gasped. "Lexi? How, what happen?"

Lexi shook her head. "I don't want to go into details right now. But please just trust me. Klaus is bad news and if he's coming after you then we need to find a way to keep you safe."

Elena sighed. "Lexi, I need detail, and if you're not comfortable talking about it, I won't push, but please let me go see Katherine."

Lexi sighed but nodded. "I'll tell you what we will go see Katherine. Stefan would kill me if he knew I let you go by yourself. Call Caroline and have her distract Stefan for a few hours."

"Yes! Thank you, Lexi."

"Elena, listen, you might not like what Katherine has to say," Lexi said.

"I know. But I need to know the truth, like it or not."

With that, Elena took out her phone and called Caroline and then she and Lexi headed to the tomb.


They arrived not long after.

"Are you sure you want to do this after I remove the door there is no going back," Lexi said.

"I'm sure. I need to know."

Lexi sighed. "Ok." She went over to the door and moved it to the side.

It took a few minutes, but Katherine came hobbling over to the doorway. "Hello, Elena. Goodbye, Lexi." She growled.

"You don't scare me." Lexi laughed. "Besides I have something you want and unless you answer all Elena's questions and tell her the complete and honest truth you don't get it."

"What could you possibly have that I want?" Katherine asked.

Lexi held up a bottle of blood.

Katherine tried to run out to get it but hit the wall. "Fine, you can stay."

All three of them sat down. Lexi gave her a small cup filled with blood and pushed it to her with a stick.

The meeting didn't take very long at all. Elena got the answers she was looking for, but it didn't mean she liked it. Lexi had warned it that would happen, and she did.


Just as they were about to leave Stefan came down.

"What are you two doing down here? Lexi, how could you?"

"I needed answers, and I got them. Let's just go home now." Elena said not looking him in the eyes. "I forced Lexi to come with me; it's not her fault. Don't be mad at her."

"I'm not mad at either of you." Stefan sighed. "I just wish you had told me."

"Did Caroline tell you?" Lexi asked.

"No, but it didn't take me long to figure it out. What happen?" He pulled Elena in his arms and hugged her close. She seemed to be in shock.

"Let's just talk about this later. We really need to get Elena out of here."

Stefan pulled Elena back to look at her face. "Whatever she said to you is a lie. Do not listen to her she's a liar."

"What if she isn't? You didn't hear what she said." Elena said.

"You don't have to worry. I'd never let anything happen to you."

"That's the problem you won't, but you'll die trying, how is that any better?"

But before Stefan could answer Katherine spoke. "There is nothing you can do Stefan. I haven't even told you the best part of the story. When I went home to see my family again they were gone, and I don't mean like they just moved away, I mean gone as is dead every single one of them. My entire family was dead just because I ran from Klaus. Everything you do to run from, just know…he will get his revenge on your family and anyone you have ever loved."

Stefan turned Elena to face him. "No, Do not listen to her." Elena didn't speak she didn't even show she heard him.

"Always the protector, even you must realize she's doomed," Katherine said. "There is nothing you can do to stop it," She said. But then she gave a sly smile. "Unless you have this." She held up the moonstone.

"What?" Elena gasped. She took a step forward to try and get it. Stefan and Lexi took her arms gently to keep her back.

"There it is," Stefan said. "It's the ultimate lie. You spun this whole thing so we'd have to get the stone from you."

"I didn't spin anything, Stefan."

"Let me guess, you want to trade that stone for your freedom? You manipulative, psychotic…"

Katherine cut him off. "My freedom? That's where you're wrong, Stefan. I don't want my freedom because when Klaus shows up to kill us all and he will, I'll be in the tomb, where no vampire will enter because they can't get out. I'll be the safest psychotic vampire in town. She looked to Elena. "You should make sure you tell everyone how much you love them while you still can." With that, she vanished back inside the tomb.

Elena stood there in shock. She couldn't speak, she wasn't even sure she could move.

Stefan and Lexi took her out and back home. She was quiet the entire time.


As they pulled into the driveway, Elena got out and headed to her front door.

"Elena," Stefan said.

"I can't talk about it, Stefan," She said as she tried and failed at unlocking her door.

"You have to, please don't shut me out."

Elena turned to him. "I wanted to know the truth, Stefan, and I got it. It's not just me that's in danger. It's Caroline, and it's Tyler and it's Bonnie. They're all part of breaking the curse. I can't blame anyone else anymore because it's not because you came into town or because you and I fell in love. That's not why everyone that I love is in danger. It's because of me; everything is because of me and I can't…" She trailed of crying hysterically.

Stefan took her into his arms instantly. Elena cried so hard she had to stop ever few seconds just to gasp for air.

"Shhh." Stefan soothed as he gently touched her hair and kissed her temple. She cried into him and clung to him as tightly as she possibly could.

She wore herself out and cried herself to sleep in Stefan's arms. Lexi came over and took the keys from her hands and unlocked the door.

The three of them went inside and up to Elena's room.


Stefan tucked her in and then sat at her side stroking her hair. Lexi sat on the other side.

"We will find a solution, Stefan. I promise." Lexi said.

"You've met him before, haven't you?" Stefan asked.

Lexi sighed. "Yes, and he is bad news."

"Is there a way to stop him?"

"We will find one."

"How do you know him? We've known each other a long time, why have you never mentioned him?"

"My encounter with Klaus wasn't a time I like to talk about Stefan. Let's just say he hurt me…badly. I will do whatever I can to prevent Elena from going through what I did. That's all you need to know."

Stefan sighed. "What did he do to you?"

"Like I said that's all you need to know." Lexi stood up. "Stay with, Elena tonight, I'm sure she'll have nightmares and need you. I'll be back at the house."

She turned to leave when she felt someone grab her wrist. She turned and saw it was Elena. "How long have you been awake?" Lexi asked.

"Please don't leave me." She whimpered.

"Oh, Sweetie." Lexi cooed gently. She sat back down and took Elena's hand. "I'm not going anywhere."

Elena relaxed and fell back to sleep.

"Stefan…have you ever thought about Elena becoming like you?" Lexi asked.

"Lots of times."

"What has she said about it?"

"She doesn't know. I've never talked about it with her. If it was something, she wanted she would have brought it up. Until she does, I'm not going to ask her."

"You're right."

"It would protect her from Klaus, we both know that but if Elena doesn't want it, I don't want to do to her like I did to Damon."

"It's ok. I understand. I just…I had to ask."

Stefan nodded as they both watched Elena sleep. They didn't know how, but they would protect her and everyone else she loved from Klaus no matter what it took.


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