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.
I'm so sorry this is late from my regular updates. I was having trouble uploading. But here is the next chapter. Please enjoy!
Stefan was on his back groaning in pain. His face was red and burned from Vervain. A hooded figure was standing over him with a gun shooting wooden bullets at him as he cried out in pain.
"Elena! Elena help me please help me!"
Elena went to help him but there was some kind of force holding her back. "What, what's happening I can't move."
An evil laugh came from the hooded figure. "You can't save your little Stefan now."
"Stop! Don't hurt him please!"
"If I can't have him no one can."
"What? Who are you?"
The hooded figure removed her hood to reveal Katherine. Elena gasped. "No, you're in the tomb you can't get out."
"I'll always find my way back Elena. I might not be able to have Stefan love me but I can make sure he doesn't love you either."
Kat shot another bullet at Stefan this time hitting him in the heart.
"No Stefan!" Elena cried.
"This hurts doesn't it Stefan, do you want me to stop?"
"Yes! Kat stop hurting him!" Elena cried.
"No I don't care! I'll never love you!" Stefan choked out.
"Fine then you've left me no choice. If I can't have you no one can."
Kat grabbed a pointy wooden stick and…..
"NO! STEFAN!" Elena screamed as she shot up bed. She panted for air and cried hysterically. She looked over next to her but saw no one. She screamed again. "STEFAN!" This time she felt a gust of wind and
Stefan was in front of her. "Hey, hey, what's wrong." He asked.
"Stefan, it was Kat she was going to kill, She killed you." Elena cried as she fell into his arms.
"Shhhhh it was a bad dream. Kat is locked away in the tomb. I'm fine."
"She was shooting you with wooden bullets and spraying you with Vervain. You were begging me to help you but I couldn't move. Kat killed you. You were screaming in pain and I couldn't help you. Stefan it was so horrible!"
"It was only a bad dream. Kat is locked away she can't hurt you anymore. I'm safe."
Elena pulled back and looked into his eyes.
"It felt so real. When I woke up and you were here I got scared."
"I didn't mean to scare you I was just in the kitchen. I was going to surprise you with a breakfast in bed."
"After what happen last night with the wolves I just…."
"Shhhhh, it's all over. We're both safe no one can hurt us. Plus Kat is too in love with me to kill me."
Elena shook her head. "She said if she couldn't have you no one could."
"Elena trust me Kat would drink animal blood before she killed me."
"It was just so real."
"But it wasn't. It was a bad dream."
Stefan kissed her head. She stayed close in his arms. She fell back to sleep pretty easily after that but Stefan couldn't fall back to sleep. He had a nightmare too.
He had just learned that Elena's plan with Elijah meant her dying. He wondered if Elena knew. He didn't want to tell her and risk upsetting her, on the other hand if he told her she might cancel her deal and finally allow them to help her.
But...what if she did know? Would she really stand outside with him and talk about their future when she wasn't planning on having one.
"Yes, she would. Because she is scared." Lexi said walking into the room.
Stefan sighed. "Lexi..."
"Stefan, do you trust me?" Lexi asked cutting him off.
"Of course I trust you, but what does that..."
Again Lexi cut him off. "No, no buts. Just answer the question, do you trust me?"
"Yes." Stefan nodded.
"Then don't tell Elena and don't get mad at her. I have my own plan and this time Elena is going to be protected and so is everyone else she loves."
Stefan sighed. "But what about..."
"No more buts, Stefan. If you really trust me you'd stop asking so many questions."
Stefan sighed but nodded. "Fine. But if you really trusted me you'd tell me why you're so scared of Elijah and how you know him."
Lexi shook her head. "Look at the time, you must be exhausted. I'll let you get some sleep." With that she walked away.
Stefan sighed once more. "Lexi..."
"I can't Stefan. Not yet. But maybe one day."
Stefan just nodded and laid down with Elena and went back to sleep. He really wondered what Lexi had planned.
The next morning Stefan woke up and decided not to wake Elena. He went out back to have some place quiet to think. He didn't know that when Elena woke up she decided to read one of the diaries. This particular one just happen to be about his ripper days. It held information that Elena didn't know about him. But she was about to find out.
After a phone call with Damon, Stefan went back inside to see Elena reading.
"What does Jonathan Gilbert have to say?" Stefan asked.
"A lot. It's insane the things he wrote in his journal that he kept from the founding families. Stuff that nobody knows. Stuff that... You never told me." Elena said adding the last part softly.
Stefan sighed. "We were, uh... We were angry at the founding families for what they did to Katherine. We wanted revenge. I didn't know about Jonathan Gilbert's ring yet. I didn't know that he would... that he would survive."
" He describes you as a monster."
"That's what I was. I want you to know the truth... " he gently took the book from her hands. But I want you to hear it from me. In the weeks after I became a vampire, I relished in it. I took it to the darkest place I could." He started slowly. "I wasn't myself then. I was full of guilt. What I did to my father, to my brother. I had to turn it off. It was the only way I could survive." Stefan sighed as the flashbacks of his ripper days attacked him.
"It sounds like you were Damon." Elena gasped.
Stefan gave a dry emotionless chuckle. "I was worse. For weeks I kept spiraling. I was completely driven by the desire for blood. Hunt, prey, kill. That was all I knew."
"How come no one caught on to what you were doing?"
"There was a war going on. The thing about wartime. Endless, anonymous blood supply."
"What changed? How did you become who you are today?" Elena asked.
"Alexia Branson, as she was known back then." Stefan said.
"Lexi? Your best friend Lexi? That's how you met her?"
In a flash Lexi was next to Stefan. "That's me. Out first meeting was him trying to eat me." Lexi teased poking him in the side.
He didn't even flinch. Lexi sighed. "You've come such a long way from then, Stefan you should be proud."
Stefan just sighed.
"What was she even doing in Mystic Falls?" Elena asked taking the attention off Stefan.
" I had heard it was a good place for vampires. I had no idea that they'd all been massacred. I needed a place to crash, so Stefan took me in. I realized what was going on and from then on I helped him and spent years putting his life back together. He's not that man anymore."
"I know." Elena stood up and hugged him tightly. "I love you. Nothing can change that."
Stefan hugged her back. "I love you too."
"Thank you for telling me."
They stood like that for a while just holding each other.
Lexi left them alone.
After a few minutes Elena went back to reading the dairies. Stefan came over and sat next to her. "You know we were supposed to come here and escape the stressful things going on at home. Yet here you sit reading all about the stressful things." Stefan teased.
"It's not stressful. Besides it might help us make the stressful things less stressful." Elena said.
"Then why do you look so upset?"
Elena sighed.
"Is it more about me?" Stefan wondered.
"No, he hasn't talked about you in a while."
"Something in that book is upsetting you."
"I'm fine." Elena said.
"Fine then, What would you like to do? Before you answer that you should know, reading John's journal is not an option."
Elena smiled softly. She didn't answer.
"Lexi is taking care of things back home. Let's not worry about it. Let's just have some fun." Stefan said.
"How do I do that?" Elena asked.
Stefan smirked. He moved the journal from her lap and put it on the table. "Just like that, and then..." He gently moved her into her back and hovered over her leaving only inches between their faces. "Then you can do this..." He paused for a second and just when Elena thought he was going to kiss her he quickly moved his hands and started to tickle her.
Elena shrieked and burst into giggles as she squirmed around on the couch. "Stefan stop it."
"Nope this is how we have fun. I want to make sure you have so much fun that you forget about everything going on back home."
"But I can't!" She laughed.
"This will help." He said simply and moved his hands to her stomach.
She laughed harder. "No! Not there! Not my stomach!"
Stefan chuckled but moved back to her sides and armpits.
"Stop it!" Elena giggled trying to push him away.
Stefan laughed with her but stopped. Elena giggled softly. Once she caught her breath back Stefan leaned down and they kissed passionately.
When they pulled Stefan noticed Elena's eyes were wet and red.
"I didn't realize I was that bad of a kisser."
Elena giggled but more tears made their way down her cheeks.
"What is it?" Stefan asked.
Elena pointed to the book. Stefan sighed and kissed her forehead.
"Are you ready to tell me what was in that book that upset you so much?"
Elena sniffed softly. "After John came back to life he was talking about you and all the horrible things he was going to do to do to you once he caught you."
"I'm here. I'm ok. John never caught me."
"I know but with everything going on and Klaus threatening everyone I love..."
"I thought you trusted Elijah. He was going to keep everyone safe."
More tears spilled down her cheeks.
"Tell me the truth, please." He wiped her tears.
"Will you tell?" Elena whimpered.
"No. It can be our secret. I promise."
Elena sniffed.
"Do you trust him?" Stefan asked again.
Elena shook her head. She sniffed once more. "I know what he said but what if he's not strong enough. What if Klaus is stronger than him and Klaus gets mad that I ask for Elijah's help and he...he..." Elena broke down crying.
Stefan hugged her tightly and let her cry. She hadn't exactly said the words but Stefan knew, she didn't trust anyone anymore and until Klaus was dealt with she'd always be afraid of losing him or someone else she loved.
A few minutes later Elena was laying in Stefan's arms on his chest as he rubbed her back. She was no longer crying just sniffing softly.
Lexi walked in. "I hate to interrupt but I have news."
"What's going on?" Stefan asked.
"Elijah is dead. We were able to find a dagger that can kill an original vampire. I'm sorry Elena but it had to be done." Lexi said.
Elena lost it. She burst out into fresh tears and started to scream. "NO! HOW COULD YOU! WE MADE A DEAL! NOW WE HAVE NOTHING TO STOP KLAUS FROM KILLING THE PEOPE I LOVE! WHY DID YOU DO THAT TO HIM WHY? WHY WOULD YOU BETRAY ME LIKE THAT!"
"He wasn't trustworthy, Elena. We had to, to keep you safe."
Elena continued to cry and shake her head. "Now who will protect you guys and my friends and family?"
"We can protect ourselves and your loved ones." Lexi said.
"How?" She whimpered.
"You're just going to have to trust me." Lexi said.
"But why did he have to die?" Elena whimpered.
Lexi sighed softly. "He was going to betray you in the end, Elena. You have to understand we are only doing this to protect you."
"How do you know?"
"I know Elijah better than you think."
"How?"
Lexi sighed once more and put her hand out for Elena to take. "Why don't you and I go upstairs and talk."
Elena looked to Stefan who nodded. Elena stood up and took Lexi's hand. "Stefan, if our friendship means anything to you, you won't listen to our conversation." Then Lexi took Elena and they went upstairs. Stefan sighed softly. Why couldn't she just tell him her secret? What was she so scared of? He got up and went in search of something to distract himself with so he wouldn't hear the conversation upstairs.
A few minutes later Elena came down looking like she had seen a ghost. She had tear stains on her cheeks. They walked into the kitchen and Stefan was doing the dishes.
"Hey, I just thought I'd get a head start on the dishes." Stefan said.
Lexi smiled softly. She knew he was only doing it because the running water would block him from hearing anything far away. "Thank you, Stefan." she said so only he heard.
"You're welcome. When you're ready to tell me about you and Elijah I'll be here to listen."
Lexi nodded softly.
Stefan turned off the water and looked to Elena. He frowned. "What did you tell her?"
"Just the truth."
"I'm ok, Stefan. I needed to hear what Lexi had to say. I'm not mad anymore."
"Are you sure you're ok?"
Elena nodded. "Actually, I should have told you guys sooner but….John did research on the Originals. He knew about the special dagger. I didn't think it was real though."
"What did it say?" Lexi asked.
"A human has to be the one to stab the vampire with it because otherwise both vampires would be killed."
"Done. Alaric did it." Lexi nodded. "What else."
"The dagger has to stay in place, other wise he will just come back to life."
If it was possible Lexi went white. She quickly grabbed her phone and dialed a number. She spoke for a few minutes and the hung up. "We might have a problem."
"Damon took the dagger out?" Elena asked.
"We were hoping to use it on Klaus. So…yes. But he knows where you are and he's on his way to see you now."
"It's ok, I'll talk to him and I re-make our deal and…"
"No, Elena, I thought you understood. There is no deal. Elena…you're going to have to stab him."
"What? No! I can't!"
"You're human, Stefan and I can't do it."
"But…how?"
Lexi sighed. "You're not going to like what I have to say."
Elena and Stefan sighed but listened to Lexi's plan.
Suddenly Stefan and Lexi heard footsteps coming up the driveway. "He's here." Stefan said.
Seconds later the door was literally blown in by a rock. Elena jumped and gasped.
"Just remember he can't come inside. He hasn't been invited." Lexi said.
"I may not be able to enter this home, but I'll wait you out." Elijah said from the doorway.
Elena slowly walked over. She stood inside but far enough that Elijah couldn't touch her.
"They shouldn't have done what they did." Elena started.
"The deal is off." Elijah growled.
"I'm renegotiating." Elena asid.
"You have nothing to negotiate with."
Elena just slowly pulled out a knife. "I'd like to see you lure Klaus into Mystic Falls after the doppleganger bleeds to death."
Elijah just chuckled. "Stefan won't let you die."
"No, he won't. But he'll feed me his blood to heal me, then I'll kill myself and become a vampire just like Katherine did. So unless you want that to happen again promise me the same as before, promise me you won't harm anyone I love. Even if they've harmed you."
Elijah just smirked. "I'm sorry Elena I'm going to have to call your bluff."
Elena mentally groaned. She had no desire to do this but she knew Lexi and Stefan were close by and would heal her as soon as they could. Inhaling a deep breath she stabbed the knife into her stomach. She let out a groan of pain and blood began to pour from her stomach. She groaned in pain waiting for Elijah to change his mind. She really hoped it was soon.
"NO!" Elijah yelled. He tried to rush inside but couldn't get in. "Yes, all right fine! You can have your deal! Let me heal you!"
"Give me your word!" she groaned.
"I give you my word." Elijah said.
Elena stumbled outside and fell into Elijah's arms. But before he could do anything Elena stabbed him with the dagger. He cried out in pain and then fell to the floor.
Elena dropped next to him. Seconds later a writs was in her mouth and Stefan was next to her. She panted hard as the wound began to heal itself. Stefan removed his wrist and she leaned against him painting.
"Little tip." Damon said from the doorway. "Don't pull the dagger out."
Elena did her best to ignore him. She wished she didn't even have to invite him inside. But to get the dagger she did. It was the only way he'd agree to give it to them. Luckily Damon arrived first.
Lexi and Damon left to take care of the body. Elena and Stefan stayed behind to clean up and put things back together.
Elena sighed as she packed her last shirt into her suitcase. Stefan just rubbed her back. "We will come back one day and we will have a real romantic get away."
"Ok."
"How is your stomach?"
"Fine. Not even a scar."
"Good. Let's get going, you ready?"
She just nodded. Stefan sighed knowing she really didn't want to leave. Neither of them did.
They got back home really late and went right to bed. They were both exhausted.
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