CHAPTER 3

Damon opened the door to Sheriff Forbes not all that long after he had returned from his trip to Richmond with Elena. It all came back to him that Liz had taken a shot at him at The Grill when he was sick. It was all coming together. She knew that he's a vampire.

"Liz, have you come to finish me off?" Damon asked going straight to the point.

"Can I come in? I want to apologize for the other night." Liz stated.

This surprised Damon. What had changed since then?

"Sure. Come in." He stepped aside as she entered the boarding house.

She seemed to gather her thoughts before she spoke. "I just want to apologize for what I did the other night. A lot of it had to do with what I was raised to believe about vampires. Yet, with knowing that Caroline is a vampire has changed my view. She is still my little girl, Damon and I just couldn't deny it. She told me how it happened and I no longer blame you. I'm still confused… I do know about Tyler being werewolf. Then there is the added complication of Carol Lockwood paying me a visit about the vampire situation and threatening to remove me as sheriff if I don't handle it.

"Liz, there's a lot that you don't know. Maybe you should sit down for what I'm about to tell you."

Liz listened as Damon told her about Klaus , why he needed Elena, and what he has become because he broke the curse that had been put on him. He told her about the werewolves that had once been in town and that some of the recent deaths were due to them and not vampires.

"A werewolf bite will kill a vampire, Liz. The only reason I'm still here is because extraordinary measures were taken to cure me." Damon wasn't really prepared to tell her that the vampire turned werepire's blood was the cure. "Klaus is one of the original vampires that walked this earth. I don't think I need to tell you that he is the most dangerous of vampires.

"What does original mean?" She asked.

"It means that he along with his family were the first vampires going back to the early centuries. Klaus is now both werewolf and vampire which makes him even more dangerous and I want to stop him. But there's a problem. He can't be killed by staking. He is virtually indestructible – especially now that he's a hybrid."

Liz tried to let it all sink in that she had more than just vampires to worry about.

"Look, I know it's a lot to take in, Liz, but I want to help you protect this town. This is my home, too.", he said.

Liz looked at him and an understanding came over her face. She felt that he was being genuine in his desire to protect Mystic Falls.

"Just out of curiosity, how long have you…and Stefan been vampires?" she asked.

"Since 1864", Damon replied. "If it's any comfort, everything that's happened was in the making a long time before that. "

There was so much that she didn't know about vampires, werewolves, and everything supernatural.

"The other night I shot Jeremy."

"You what?" Damon frowned.

"I shot at you, but you vanished and the bullet hit Jeremy. He died in the Grill. I saw it with my own eyes. Caroline tried to revive him with her blood, but it was too late. Alaric and Bonnie took him some place. Then later I got a call saying that he was going to be fine. Caroline told me that Bonnie is a witch. Is that true?"

Damon nodded his head in affirmation.

Liz let out an audible sigh that she was a bit overwhelmed, but Damon reassured her again that he would help keep the town safe.

"I found these articles dating back to 1917." Damon presented Elena with a small stack of articles that he found at the library.

Elena skimmed through them as they sat on the couch in her living room. "Two hundred and twenty five either missing or dead." She read out loud. It was time that she faced the facts that Klaus wasn't lying. These accounts just confirmed it. "Stefan killed all those people in 1917." Elena said sadly as she looked at the various news stories.

"Elena, I didn't know…" he trailed off. "I guess this explains why he stopped drinking human blood. I always thought it was because he never got a grip on controlling it, but there is more to it." Damon continued. "A ripper takes satisfaction in killing."

"Did you ever take…" Elena started to ask the question.

"Did I ever what – take pleasure in killing?" Damon turned to her. "No, not really. I've killed, but I didn't take the kind of pleasure in it the way a ripper does. The hunt and the kill is the turn on for a ripper. It's greater than sex.

The last part brought on a slight blush from Elena. This was the first time she thought that the desire for blood and killing his victims was greater than sexual satisfaction – something that she could never satisfy. Suddenly, she felt woefully inadequate.

"We have to find him, Damon before he kills any more people." Elena said.

Damon took a long pause. He didn't like what he had to tell her, but it had to be said no matter what. He took her hands into his. "We won't give up, but you need to know that we may not find him. He may have to come home on his own."

"But…" Elena interrupted.

"They are probably not in Richmond any more." Damon knew where she was headed. "Then there's the small problem that I'm out matched against Klaus." It pissed him off to admit that there is a vampire out there that he can't take on -one that is indestructible and who is not only an original, but also a werewolf. It made for one deadly combination.

Damon admitting that he was no match for Klaus saddened her. It saddened her because he loves his brother and…her. She slipped her hand out his and hugged him as a show of support that she understood. Unlike other times when she hugged him, he returned the embrace.

Greenville, VA

7:30 p.m.

Killing the girl the night before had given him a rush that he hadn't experienced since some time in the 1950's and certainly reminiscent of his binge in 1917. She was his second kill in two days. Stefan felt the overwhelming need to do it again and again. Yet, there was still the remembrance of Elena's face as she watched him rip into that girl's throat the night before that bothered him. He had never wanted her to see him like this, but this is who he is – not the Stefan who fought his nature or the Stefan that lived as though he is human, but fed off animal blood.

The house that he and Klaus were occupying is bank owned in this small town. It's secluded enough that their activities would not be noticed by neighbors or passersby. Suddenly, he became aware that he was not alone in the house and it wasn't because Klaus had returned.

"I knew you were meaner." Katherine said.

Stefan spun around upon hearing Katherine's voice. He was on her in heartbeat. "How did you find me?" He hissed. His face was full on vampire.

Katherine was still stronger, but it amazed her that it took more effort to slam him to the floor this time. "I've been following you. I was watching that little scene outside the bar last night in Richmond from a nearby rooftop."

Stefan switched their positions so that he had her pinned to the floor. "Why did you come here?"

"Because I couldn't just leave you with him. Klaus will use you up and then he will kill you." Katherine glared at him. Her eyes never leaving his.

"Like you care about anyone but yourself, Katherine. Shouldn't you be afraid that Klaus has some evil plan in store for you? What's in it for you?"

"Nothing really…well actually there is if you're willing to take the risk. See, now that Damon is cured and your little ex- is still alive and human, we can get out of here before he returns."

Stefan released his hold on Katherine and she quickly got to her feet. "Elena is not my ex and why would I run away with you of all people? That would be a very stupid and dangerous move to skip out on my deal with Klaus."

"Oh, Stefan I beg to differ – not from what I walked in on the other night between her and Damon." Katherine ran her finger down the expanse of skin visible from his open shirt. "They were cuddled up in his bed and they were kissing. Well, maybe the kiss was one-sided since Damon was on his deathbed, but she did kiss him. It was such a romantic little scene that I walked in on." Katherine said teasingly and taking great satisfaction it doing so.

"Bitch, he was dying for fuck's sake! What you saw was her comforting him in his final moments before you delivered Klaus's blood."

Stefan's personality had indeed changed. Katherine could hear it in the words that he used. This was the Stefan that she knew existed underneath the façade that he put on for the world to see in Mystic Falls.

"Dammit, Stefan, don't be stupid! I know what I saw and heard. She's falling in love with your brother. She probably always was, but you're still in denial of what was right in front of you. You already know that Damon loves her, but did you ever stop to think that she might love him back? No, because you had your head so far up your ass living in that fantasy world where everything was right between you and your precious Elena. She's young and maybe even naïve, but Damon will awaken those feelings that she has for him and when that happens…"

There was probably truth in her words, but Stefan didn't want to hear it. "Shut the fuck up!" He slammed her into wall. His gaze was piercing . "You know what I'm feeling right now? I want to go hunting, but you're here and I can think of some things that I want to do to you in the meantime." He said as his eyes perused her body. His lips were upon Katherine's before she could utter another word. She was receptive to his kiss as she let his tongue slide into her mouth. His kiss was hard and rough while at the same time he pushed her tight dress up, sliding his hand up her thigh to her lace panties. In one hard yank, he ripped them off , dropping them to the floor. His other hand squeezed her right breast and played with her erect nipple under the skimpy material of the garment. He slid the fingers of his other hand into her wetness and rubbing her swollen clit. He had to have her.

Katherine pressed her sex into his hand and pulled him closer to her. The more aroused she became the harder she kissed him. She slid her hand down his torso to the bulge in his jeans and let a moan slip from her lips. Her fingers made fast work of the zipper to free his cock.

Stefan pushed his jeans and boxers down and let them fall around his ankles. He raised her up so that she could straddle his hips as he entered her wet core. His thrusts were deep and hard. He pulled partially out only to slam into her again and again.

In a blur of motion, he had her against the back of the couch, one of the only pieces of furniture in the living room. Katherine braced herself against it as he entered her again. His fingers intertwined in her hair while his other hand found her clit once again alternately rubbing it in circles and tugging on it as he fucked her hard. He pulled her hair. " Did you come back for this? Tell me." He his hissed into her ear.

"Yeeees!" Katherine gasped in the throes of her first orgasm.

"You're such a bitch!" Stefan said as he pulled out of her not having reached his own release. He ripped off his shirt and kicked off his jeans and boxers in quick succession. Katherine removed her dress and bra just as quickly. Stefan pulled her to him and kissed her hard. His tongue demanding entrance into her mouth. Katherine stroked his rock hard cock which was slick with her juices.

In another blur, they were on the floor with Katherine on top this time. She rode him hard as he bucked his hips into her creating intense friction against her clit. Katherine licked a trail up his chest to his lips where she moaned into his mouth as another orgasmic wave hit her hard. Her walls contracted around him causing him to empty inside her in violent spasms.

"Katerina."

An icy grip was felt in the pit of her stomach. Katherine turned in the direction of his voice while still straddling Stefan. They both gave their attention to him.

"I knew you'd return because of Stefan. Thank you, Stefan for keeping her busy until I returned." Klaus kneeled down so that he was eye level with her. "I promised you that I was going to make the next 250 years a living hell for you." He said as he trailed his index finger down her back with a feather light touch. "Now , Katerina, what are you going to do for me? You're not done yet. It's going to be a long night." He said as he stood up and started to unzip his pants.

A/N: Thanks for reading. Much more D/E to come and some badass Damon/Alaric, too. Klaus is one sick bastard and it's only beginning.