Warning: Death, violence, swearing and blood in this chapter. Also, it's a tear-jerker: I cried writing it.

In This World Of Loneliness

Watching, and waiting. Those were the activities on Klaus' agenda for the next hour as he crossed the barren expanse of the Mystic Falls High parking lot, the last dregs of summer's heat clinging to his back as he slipped in effortlessly through a propped-open back door, carelessly unattended. Idiots. Did they really think he'd gone away, that just because he was in another state, the danger was over and they were free to do as they pleased? If that was the case, tonight would be a very rude awakening indeed.

He blended into the shadows effortlessly, as all vampires did -well, those worth experience (and style)- and traversed the dimly lit hallways, a looming spectre ready to strike. It was all very dramatic and atmospheric, and it was a damn shame there was no one there to appreciate it but him. Then he found her. The doppelgänger, Elena Gilbert, alive and well and...setting up mouse traps? Of course, it was Senior Prank Night, if the posters and isle chit-chat he picked up from the various classrooms was anything to go by.

Klaus had been right, after all -of course he had been; he was Niklaus bloody Mikaelson!- as had his sister. Stefan's reluctance to let go was there in front of him, the same reason why he couldn't make his damn hybrids to boot. Oh, how he'd enjoy killing her. Again. Or, better yet, maybe he'd make Stefan do it, make him sink his fangs to her and drain her dry as he'd watched the Ripper do to countless other women all summer long. It was good to keep his options open.

It was disconcerting, seeing them all in one room. The doppelgänger he'd waited centuries to use to break his curse, the Bennett witch who had tried to end him, the werewolf he'd almost sacrificed -he'd be most useful tonight- the human quarterback who's hand he couldn't remember and a blonde baby vampire who was arguably too beautiful to be hanging on to that welp's every word like some boy-band groupie. The thought blew out of his mind, though, when she began barking orders at her ragtag team like a general on a battlefield, seemingly in her element. She really was awfully pretty; he'd definitely keep her alive, if only to use as leverage against the Lockwood boy should his transition occur successfully. They all looked so young, so at ease in each other's company, bonded by something he knew he didn't understand, and had never had: unconditional love. These were people that would die for each other without hesitation, not out of familial obligation or power or gratitude or anything like that, but simply because it was right. They were the Good Guys, heroes, each and every one of them, and it made his skin crawl to be in such close proximity to such a disturbing and pointless thing.

He picked the right moment, when the doppelgänger separated from her group, watched as she made her way down the hall, shoes squeaking noisily as she pushed her way through the double doors. In a flash, he was before her, mouth set with the sharpest grin, eyes dancing with wickedly malicious intent as he purred, "Hello, love. Looks like someone's alive and well."

She tried to struggle, the dear thing, tried to claw and scratch at him, even bite at him -her audacity annoyed and amused him in equal measure, and the irony certainly wasn't list on him- as he dragged her into the school gymnasium -it wasn't exactly the Globe Theatre, but it would suit his needs well enough for tonight's performance- and clearing the room with a few words. Compelling himself a few teens for collateral, leaving them by the wall like so much set dressing, Klaus prepared himself for the wait. Rebekah should be done kicking in Stefan's face by now, after which she'd proceed to drag Tyler in here and he could put on a little demonstration. Stefan hadn't told him much about the supposed love of his life, but he did know that she'd fight to the death to protect those she cared about, had gone to him willingly because of that utter devotion. Klaus admired her spirit, he really did, it just wasn't of any use to him. He could see why Elijah had been drawn to her, though, minus the obvious facial resemblances to Tatia and Katerina. History had taught him that Mikaelsons always did prefer those who bit back.

"If you're going to kill me, Klaus, just get on with it. There's no need to drag this out; you and I both know I won't survive you a second time." Squaring her shoulders, Elena raised her chin defiantly, planting her feet apart in a fighting stance he was all too familiar with. Brave, brave girl. Stupid, but brave. The brave ones were always trouble.

Smirking, he braced his hands behind his head on the bleachers, crossing his legs languidly at the ankles, the portrait of magnanimous boredom. "Not until I know I'm right, sweetheart. But while we're one the subject...are you really so eagre to kick the bucket, as it were? I ask only out of curiosity, you see, since Stefan mentioned during our time together that you have quite the self-sacrificing streak, which I find quite hard to imagine in a young woman your age. Did you pick that up from him, or have you always had so little regard for your own life?" he inquired blandly, watching as a multitude of emotions flashed across that face he knew so very well, the most fascinating of the lot being rage.

It seemed he'd poked the bear, and she was ready to roar at him.

"Why should I answer you? You said it yourself: I'll be dead by the end of the night, and that's if I'm lucky. Why waste time pretending you think I'm more than just the doppelgänger standing in the way of you making your hybrids?" Elena spat, brown eyes shining with reproach and...curiosity. Like she almost wanted him to answer. Like she wanted to see if there was anything good or moral or even human left in him. She'd been spending too much time with Elijah; thee was none to be found.

Shrugging at her casually, Klaus replied simply, "I like to make conversation. Tatia and I used to talk all the time, when she was still alive. She was always more than happy to share her option on a myriad of subjects; I reckoned you'd be the same."

"Well, sorry to disappoint, but I am not my thousand year old dead ancestor. I have a brain and a heart that's all my own, and im not interested in sharing anything with you. You killed my aunt, right in front of me, then you killed me. How do you expect me to talk to you? What about everything you put Elijah through? You're not a nice person, Klaus, and I won't pretend otherwise."

It was the wrong thing to say. Faster than a blink, he had a hand wrapped around her throat, crushing at the tender flesh with brutal force. "Don't presume to know about my brother after knowing him for, what? A month before I came along and ended your sorry life? I've known him for over a thousand years, so don't you dare talk as if you know a thing about him, or me. You are nothing, Elena Gilbert, and I can't wait to kill you a second time. Only now, I'll savour it, rather than feeling any sort of sympathy for you or your unwanted plight. You're in my way, but not for long, and you'd do best not to talk about things you don't understand, or at all, if I'm being honest."

"Come now, Niklaus. Is that any way to talk to a lady?"

His hand was still around Elena's throat, so the hybrid had a front-row seat as the girl's face broke out into a dazzling smile and she breathed his brother's name like it was the most sacred thing in all the world. "Elijah."

Seeing Niklaus lay a hand on her made him want to murder someone, his brother chiefly at the top of his list. The urge was dampened somewhat by the utter relief on Elena's face, but it was still very much present, raising his nerves to a splintering degree. He suddenly became aware of every square inch of space between the two, every unnecessary breath he exhaled, every flutter of her lashes as Elena tried to act like being at Klaus' mercy wasn't affecting her, but he knew her too well, had seen her wake up from nightmares on more than one occasion: she was scared. And she should be. They were monsters, the lot of them. But this monster only cared about making sure she was alright.

Leisurely, as if they were discussing the weather and not the safety of the woman he loved, Elijah demanded patiently, "Let her go, Niklaus. Her, and the children. There's no need to involve them in this."

"No need?" his brother chuckled bitterly, shaking his head at his brother's naivety. "There is every need, Elijah. These damn doppelgängers have been a thorn in my side -our side- for over a thousand years. It's time we got rid of it, don't you agree?"

"No, I don't," Elijah responded tensely, taking an commanding step forward. "I won't ask again. Unhand her, Niklaus."

"Fine." Rolling his eyes, Klaus let go of her, backing away slightly. Instantly, Elena spun around and elbowed the hybrid in the jaw, an action she could only get away with due to the elder Mikaelson's presence in the room. Within seconds, she was standing before him, arms crossed over her chest protectively, eyeing him up and down warily, like she didn't trust him not to disappear in a hail of smoke. Allowing himself a half smile, Elijah urged her softly, "Come here, sweetheart," and held his breath as she collapsed against his chest, wrapping the lapels of his cost between her fingers.

"I'm so happy you're here," she rasped, barely above a whisper, her uncertainty was a lance to his heart; he'd make sure he never heard it again.

"I'm sorry for how I acted, Elena," the Original murmured, not even caring that his brother was a witness to such an intimate and vulnerable moment. "You were only trying to do what you thought best, and it was wrong of me to fault you for it. You're far stronger than I ever could or would be if our roles were reversed. It seems after a thousand years, I'm still capable of acting irrationally and being an incompetent and inconsiderate fool."

She shook her head, chin gracing across the collar of his shirt. "It's okay, Elijah, I forgive you. And I'm sorry I tried to hit you in the head; that was a low blow." She cracked a smile. "Literally."

"If I had a dollar for every time someone's tried to hit me..." Elijah trailed off, pushing Elena behind him slightly. "You should go. I don't want you to be here for this."

"No can do, brother," Klaus snarked, voice dripping with arrogance and entitlement. "You see, Elena's a pretty important part of my plans, and you know how I don't like people meddling in my affairs. They tend to wind up with a few important organs missing."

A muscle feathered in his jaw as Elijah grit his teeth and growled, "I won't let you hurt her, Niklaus."

"No? But what about me?"

Oh, the look on her brothers face was priceless. Striding into the room with a bound and gagged Tyler, Stefan and the Bennett witch, Rebekah refrained from rolling her eyes at the pathetic scene before her: Elijah, coming to the aid of the doppelgänger. Again. Didn't he know when to quit? Those bitches brought him nothing but misery and heartache, and yet as soon as another one popped up, he ran head-first towards them like a dog with a bone, begging at their heels for scraps of affection.

And he was supposed to be the smart one.

"Hope you don't mind, I picked up a few friends on my way in. Tyler and Steffie were a bit chatty," she apologized mockingly, "so I had the witch shut them up for me, otherwise I threatened to tear out her throat."

Klaus smiled at her knowingly, he smile of co-conspirators and siblings who were thick as thieves. "I'd expect nothing less from you, Bekah. Now, be a dear and reverse your spell, Miss Bennett," he ordered her darkly. "It's not as fun if they can't talk."

With a flick of her wrist, the spell broke, and the girl ran over the safety of her best friend, wrapping an arm around her protectively. Damn doppelgänger: she had more friends than she did! And she was only eighteen or whatever! How was that fair?

The poor werewolf boy, bless him, tried to put up a fight, as did Elijah, leaving his precious bitch and attempting to tear him out of Nik's clutches, but it was no use. The sound of cartilage breaking filled the room like the crackling of logs in a fireplace, and Nik shoved his bleeding wrist at the boy, making sure he gagged down a few mouthfuls before twisting his neck with a swift crack. After a few seconds, but what must have felt like an eternity to him -Rebekah remembered the feeling of dying all too well, and it was by no means a pleasant experience, let alone knowing it was going to happen, and there was nothing you could do to stop it- Tyler Lockwood dropped dead to the floor, brown eyes staring up at the ceiling unseeingly, neck hanging at an unnatural angle. Wiping his hands on his jeans, wrist already healed, Klaus stepped over his body and linked his arm with hers, his blood staining the white of her dress top.

"Go check up on the others, make sure they don't try and do anything heroic, as in stupid. If everyone does as they say, they get to keep their lives. Except you, sweetheart," he tossed over his shoulder at the brunette, who Rebekah noted with mounting horror was holding her brother's hand tightly, "you're not going home at the end of this."

Tossing her hair over her shoulder, Rebekah pouted disappointedly, "I thought I was going to have some fun on this trip, Nik. I haven't even got to set anything on fire, not a single thing."

"Don't worry," her brother patted her on the shoulder, "they'll be plenty of time for fun once I've built up my army. You can even be my right-hand man. Or woman. Or person. You know what? We'll sort out the details later. Less whining, more doing."

"God, you are such a buzzkill," the blonde grumbled, but complied nonetheless. However, before she left, she looked over at Stefan -she just couldn't help herself- wanting, hoping he was looking at her, that he hadn't forgotten her and what they had in the presence of his ex flame. But he wasn't. The vampire only had eyes for Elena, and he looked like someone had ripped his heart out of his chest, or that he wished someone would go and do it for him. Like he'd rather be dead than see Elena holding Elijah's hand.

She knew the feeling.

"Right, now that that's sorted out, onto my next point of business."

Oh, they all looked so scared, so quiet and unsure, trembling little mice huddling at the sight of the Big Bad Wolf. Now that he'd established his dominance and complete lack of mercy, gone was their defiance and iron wills they'd been so ready to display, the motley crew who's thought they could go against him and win. Elena looked like the only thing keeping her upright was Elijah, the Bennett witch was paler than a ghost, and Stefan was doing a remarkable impression of a Greek statue-Bekah must have compelled him to keep quiet and not interfere. Perfect. Glancing at his watch, then at the scoreboard hanging just above his head, an idea struck him. Yes, that would do nicely for his next act.

But why hadn't the werewolf woken up yet?

As if prompted by some external force, Tyler Lockwood bolted upright, hands going to his freshly-healed neck. Crouching down, he locked eyes with who he hoped would be his lieutenant, his closest ally and most loyal follower. "Welcome back, mate. As I'm sure you're aware, you're in transition. But don't fret, I'm going to give your friend Bonnie twenty minutes to save your life. If she succeeds, you'll be the words first hybrid, other than my wonderful self. Now, doesn't that sound great?"

"Go to hell, you bastard."

Apparently not.

"Alright, if that's how you feel." Straightening up, Klaus hauled Bonnie and a struggling Tyler across the room and to the door, pushing them out with a rumbled, "Go make me a hybrid, love."

"I should tell him," Elena whispered, watching as Klaus said something to Stefan she couldn't quite hear. This was bad. This was very, very bad. Tyler was in transition and Bonnie was going to have to stalk and she had no idea where Caroline or Matt were, or if they were even still alive, and the there was Jeremy and Alaric and Damon, all three of whom she'd tried to call while Klaus barked his orders at his sister, but to no avail.

"No, you really shouldn't," Elijah fired back heatedly, hand tightening around hers unconsciously, like he couldn't fathom the idea of letting go of her. It was sweet. Crazy, but sweet.

"Elijah, he'll die if I do nothing," she reminded him, using her best, "I know what I'm talking about so you have to listen to me," voice.

"And you most certainly will if you do what you're suggesting."

"Elijah, either get on board or get out of my way. I'm doing this, with or without your help."

"For the love of God, Elena, now is not the time for your particular brand of stubbornness."

"Well, I'm making it the time, so you're just gonna have to deal." Pulling away from his grasp, Elena went right up to Klaus and tapped him on the shoulder. "Sorry to interrupt your little chat, but I think there's something you should know."

Slowly, so slowly, Klaus turned towards her, a feverish sheen in his gaze. "Oh? And what's that, love?"

"My blood is the key to making your hybrids."

Of course. Of course, of course, of course. It made sense. It made perfect sense, in a twisted way. Oh, his mother was clever. Smarter than he'd given her credit for. She implemented a failsafe to make sure he'd always be alone, apart, even if he did somehow succeed in breaking he curse despite all her efforts to thwart him from doing so. He was just about to call his sister back in when she came storming in, waving a cellphone about under his nose.

"Nik! Nik! This bitch has my necklace!"

"Bex, I'd actually be able to see the damn thing if you stopped waving it about like it's on fire!" he snapped, stilling her frantic motions momentarily. Indeed, in the picture on the screen on Stefan and Elena, she was wearing the necklace. But she wasn't now -he had a sneaking suspicion it had something to do with his brother, not that it mattered right this moment- and he wanted to know why. Knowing that Rebekah was by no means a patient person, he stepped in before she could tear out Elena's throat, and let the chance of him making hybrids die with her.

"I know you're upset, sister, but there's far larger things at play than who took who's bauble," Klaus attempted to placate her, only for Rebekah to explode manically -why hadn't he seen that coming?- "Bauble? This isn't some tacky trinket, Klaus! You know who gave that to me!"

"And I'm sure she won't mind of you're parted from it for another five minutes. Now, let me ask nicely, with no blood spilled. Please?"

"Alright, have it your way, you prick. But I am getting my necklace back," she threatened, shooting daggers at Elena, who glared right back.

"I'll gift-wrap it for you myself." Turning to his doppelgänger, he asked as pleasantly as he could, "Elena, dearest, where is the necklace Stefan gave you? And, please don't lie: it's tedious, and there's enough drama going on to power a high school soap opera 'til the end of time."

"Katherine stole it."

"Are you sure?" the hybrid prodded her. "Last chance to change your answer."

Elena shook her head at him, "It's not a lie, Klaus: ask Bonnie if you have to. She must know that you were trying to contact the Original Witch, the one that cursed you."

Klaus arched a brow, taken aback by her impudence. "And how could you possibly know that?"

"Well, it doesn't exactly take a genius, does it?" she shot back sarcastically. "Whenever you've tried to make hybrids, you've failed. If you want to fix a problem, you go straight to the source."

"And here I thought you were just a pretty face."

"Oh, I'm much more than that."

"So it would appear. Elijah, you're awfully quiet," the blond noted, which never boded well. "Care to tell me what's on your mind?"

"I have no interest in talking to you."

"Is this because of the dagger thing? Why are you lot so testy about the dagger thing? Bekah almost tore me a new one on the way here."

"Because it's wrong!" brother and sister shouted, a brief glimmer of solidarity amidst all this chaos. After sharing a fleeting glance, Elijah continued, "You're trying to hurt someone I care very much about, Niklaus. We are not on the same side."

"I haven't done anything to her!"

"Yet. Death and destruction are forever on your heels, brother, and I will not let that fate befall Elena. I watched you kill her once before; did you really think I'd allow you another chance to do so?"

"What's the big deal, Elijah? She's just some girl!" Rebekah couldn't help but exclaim, and Klaus wordlessly conceded the spotlight to his sister. He was curious himself as to why, and it wasn't like there was much going on or anything. "Time and time again, I've seen you fall for women like her. Not just Tatia and Katerina, but countless others like her. What is it about her that would make you choose her over your own flesh and blood? Over us, over a bond a thousand years strong? Is it that falsey-falsey toothpaste-commercial smile, that dull mousey hair or those eyes that aren't really anything special? Come on, brother, there's got to be something!"

Klaus didn't have much experience with relationships. His parent's marriage and been neither stable, nor happy, and it wasn't like he'd be winning any awards for his commitment prowess anytime soon, but the look that passed between Elena and Elijah before he let go of her and walked towards their sister, effortlessly slipping back into the role of big brother...oh, he was so done for. This girl was really going to be a problem.

"Why does there have to be a reason, Rebekah?" Elijah asked of her quietly, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "Have I ever questioned the workings of your heart, or your faith in the countless men who have broken it? She is innocent, sister, blameless and kind and good as we once were. Don't you remember it, how we used to be? How we fought for one another, defended each other, loved each other to the brink of sanity? We are family, always and forever, but of you and Niklaus are so set on hurting her, then I cannot stand by you. I will not. And there's nothing either of you can do to change that."

"So, you've made up your mind then?" Klaus inquired, watching as the florescent lights cast his brother's face in momentary shadow.

Elijah nodded staunchly, "I have."

"Then I've made mine." In a flash, Klaus was across the room, calling out jovially, "Stefan. I think it's time you came in and had some fun."

He sent Rebekah off to get Bonnie, but Elena hardly noticed. She hardly noticed as Klaus bypassed whatever compulsion his sister had placed on him, then made him feed off of Dana and Chad, their bodies hitting the floor with a sickening thud, their blood reaching out scarlet fingers to stain the tips of her trainers. Her fault. This was all her fault. None of this would have happened if it wasn't for her. Her, and her stupid blood and ber stupid face and her stupid destiny and...

"How long could you hold an Original down for, Miss Bennett?" the Original Hybrid asked her best friend as Rebekah dragged her back into the room, shoving her so hard her knees almost buckled. "Ten minutes? Twenty?"

Shakily, Bonnie got up and rushed to Elena's side, ignoring him entirely. "Are you okay?"

The brunette nodded back. "Fine. How's Tyler and Caroline?"

"Doing their best. I have no idea where Matt is, though, and I have a bad feeling."

"Don't worry." Squeezing the witch's hand, she tried to sound like she believed her next words, "Everyone's gonna be okay, Bonnie. We're gonna make it out of this."

If only she could guarantee it.

"Well, come on! Times a wasting!" Klaus hollered at her. "How long, Bonnie?"

"Twenty minutes."

Klaus grinned savagely. "Excellent. Now, I'm going to compel Stefan here to give in to his basic instincts, and I need you to make sure my brother Elijah doesn't interfere."

Before she could even tell her not to, Bonnie stood her ground and replied, "There's no way in hell I'm helping you."

"Really?" he tilted his head at her. "Are you sure? Not even if I asked my sister to go and kill the baby vampire? Her name's Caroline, isn't it? Best friends since the cradle and all that?"

"Do it."

Bonnie spun around, eyes blown wide with shock. "No! Elena, Elijah's the only reason you're still breathing."

"It's alright, Miss Bennett," Elijah assured her calmly, "I can take whatever you throw at me."

Striding towards them at a leisurely pace, a plastic cup dangling absently in his hand, Klaus raised an inquiring brow. "I take it you've made a decision, yes?"

"I have," Bonnie confirmed angrily. "I won't let you hurt Caroline."

"I thought you'd say that. Before we get on with it, I just need a little donation from Elena so that Tyler doesn't die in the next half hour or so. You don't have any objection to that, sweetheart?"

Wordlessly, Elena held out her wrist, head held high and mighty, a queen facing down a foe on the battlefield.

"She's so much better when she doesn't talk, isn't she, Elijah?" he whispered conspiratorially before sinking his fangs into he wrist. She did her best to hold in her wince, to remain still as she watched her blood drip off his fangs like water off a window, the stream of coppery liquid soon filling the plastic cup, which he then handed off to Rebekah. Warning bells blared instantly when her head of silvery blonde hair paused at the doorway, when Klaus gripped Elijah by the shoulders and sent him careening into the wall, plaster dust spraying into his hair and down the back of his coat like snowfall. She tried to get to him, tried to help, but a pair of familiar arms held her about the waist, as they had a million times before, only this time there was nothing gentle or loving in Stefan's iron-hard grip or the way he murmured in her ear, "Please, don't struggle. This will be so much worse if you do."

But how could she not? How could she stand by while she could do something?

So, as Klaus drove Elijah to his knees, she screamed at the top of her lungs, "Get the hell away from him!" and Elijah roared, "Don't you dare touch her!"

The pair locked eyes, such raw agony anguish in both their brown gazes. Neither looked away. If she was going to die, at Stefan's hands no less, she wanted the last thing she looked at to be Elijah, her last sight the way he beheld her with such tenderness and love.

"Bonnie, if you'd please."

He couldn't move. He couldn't speak, he could hardly think, all he could do was watch, a grim spectator to the events unfolding before him. And he hated it.

"Stefan, when that buzzer hits the twenty minute mark, I want you to bite Elena."

They were the worst words Elijah had ever heard. Klaus needed her, needed her blood, he'd never be so foolish as to put her in harm's way, before a Ripper of all people, a Ripper who so clearly craved her. He wouldn't be able to stop, would drain every drop of blood from her body, and Elijah wouldn't even be able to so much as lift a finger. It was the ultimate torture, a fitting punishment in Klaus' eyes for choosing her over always and forever.

"No."

But he wasn't the only one in the room who loved her.

"I'm not giving you an option, Stefan. You can't fight my compulsion."

"Watch me."

Sighing heavily, his brother turned to Elena and advised her, as of they were old friends, "Don't try to fill his head with any doubts while I'm gone, Elena: this is who he is. You can't fight your nature. I was thinking about compelling him to make sure you stayed put, but I think my brother's presence is enough incentive. But don't worry, at the end of it, I'll make sure there's enough of you left for me to use. I think this is going to be the start of a wondrous relationship, don't you think? Elijah, I'm awfully sorry about how this has all turned out... actually, I'm really not, but in a decade or two, we can review the situation and if you're ready to beg for my forgiveness, I think I might consider it. See you in a bit."

As soon as Klaus left, Elena was clambering towards Elijah, leaving a trail of upturned cups and puddles of water in her wake. Kneeling across from him, she cradled his face between her palms and offered him a watery smile. "I think we've seen this movie before, huh? Only this time, I'm actually a lot more calm." Unrolling her sleeve, Elena offered her still-bleeding wrist to him.

As expected, Elijah shook his head, stare burning her with reproach, which she steadfastly ignored.

"Come on, Elijah, you just got kicked across half the gym, plus it might help with the spell, since everyone's always telling me how powerful doppelgänger blood is. Don't make a big deal out of nothing."

Huffing petulantly, he complied, eyes flashing a brief obsidian before reverting to their natural hue. Clearing his throat delicately, he opened his mouth and smiled. "Let's not make a habit of this, shall we? I'm starting to feel like I'm not very useful in these situations."

"Of course you are," Elena insisted passionately. "Why else do you think I haven't majorly freaked out? Can you move?"

"Not at present, no."

"Okay, not great, but I'll deal. Guess you'll just have to stay put for the next bit." Kissing him lightly on the cheek, Elena left Elijah propped up on the bleachers and made her way over to Stefan, who was pacing back and forth and running a hand through his hair every few seconds. At the sound of her approach, he went deathly still, before putting as much distance as he could between them.

"Stay away from me, Elena," Stefan growled, chest heaving up an down like he'd run a vampire-long marathon.

"You say that like you think I'm actually going to listen to you," Elena half sassed, half teased him, making her way towards him stubbornly.

"Well, you should! When that buzzer hits zero, you're going to die, and there's nothing you or I can do to stop it!"

"Stefan, I don't believe that. I don't believe that you can't fight this!"

"Why? You've seen the bodies yourself, Elena! I'm a Ripper and a Ripper doesn't stop! I can't. No matter how much I might want to."

"So you'll just give up trying?" Elena questioned him, amazed that he could even consider giving up. "Just accept that Klaus is going to make you do something you don't want to do, the one thing you've spent the last year trying so hard to avoid?"

Stefan hung his head. "You're right: I have spent the past year trying to avoid it, I've fought so hard not to give in, to make sure that I never hurt you...and look where it's gotten me, gotten us. What's the point, Elena? What's the point in you trying to talk to me when I can see that all you want to do is go and be with Elijah in your final minutes?"

"What's the point?" Elena parroted hysterically. "What's the point? The point is that I went through hell for you, Stefan Salvatore, that I've been hurt and kidnapped and killed and yet I never walked away! My family is dead, and I have never once blamed you for it, not once. The point is, my aunt was barely a month in her grave before I abandoned the few people I still have left to come save you only for you to toss it in my face like it meant nothing, like I meant nothing. I loved you through everything, and that love got me through every bad moment, and was the reason for so many good ones. So what if we're not boyfriend and girlfriend anymore! So what if I feel something for Elijah! Does that really mean I have to die, and know I could have lived if it wasn't for you?"

He was silent. For a long, long minute, Stefan was silent. Then, "Why didn't you wait for me, Elena? Why did you give up on us?"

"You're the one that gave up on us, Stefan, you're the one that so readily gave in to being Klaus' lackey. Because it was easier, wasn't it? Easier to give up fighting it, fighting him, and that part of you that recognized something in him; it's what made him pick you in the first place. And for the record, you never asked me to wait for you, didn't even leave so much as a note when you and Klaus left town. Why the hell should I not let myself be happy? Despite whatever you may think, Stefan, Elijah is my friend, my best friend, and he was there for me when you weren't, when I needed you, when you had every opportunity to come home and didn't take it."

Stefan began shaking his head, as if he could deny the truth of her words with the simple gesture. "What else was I supposed to do, Elena? Damon was dying; would you have preferred I didn't go him, that I sat at my brother's bedside with you and watched him die?" he shouted at her, veins crawling across the pale expanse of his face, his controls slipping it's leash for the briefest of seconds.

But it was all Elena needed to remember who she was talking to: a vampire, a Ripper, who had...fifteen minutes and twenty six seconds left before he was going to kill her.

If she was going to die, she'd make sure she got a few things off her chest first.

"Of course not!" she yelled back, stepping right up into his space, ready to play bat. "Of course I never would have let Damon die! By then I already knew that Klaus was going to need my blood, and I was on my way to Ric's when Katherine showed up with the cure. When it comes down to picking between my safety, or you and your brother, I will always pick you two, whether we are dating or not! I will always pull you back from the edge, and fight for the good I saw in you since the moment we met, and the good I see in Damon, although he does his best to hide it."

"But you don't even stop to think how that hurts us. Seeing you walk into danger without a care just because you can, because it's what you think we need! Elena, all we want is to keep you safe: it's the one thing my brother and I actually agree on."

"Well, I'm not very safe now, am I?" she couldn't help but reply, and as a wave of anguish ripple across Stefan's face, Elena immediately regretted it, wished she could take it back, but...

But it was the truth. It wasn't nice, it wasn't pretty, but it was the truth. And there was no point lying now.

"I know you're not," Stefan rasped, so quiet she could barely hear him, "and I'm sorry. I tried so hard to avoid all this. I was even thinking about teaming up with him," he nodded in Elijah's general direction, "and Katherine to make sure Klaus didn't get to you when he and Rebekah started getting antsy about your necklace."

Elena whirled around, hands on her hips. "You went and saw Katherine after we had our fight?"

Perhaps this particular moment wasn't the best time for this conversation...but come on! Katherine? What the hell?

Elijah began slowly, meticulously, knowing that Elena wasn't above spending the next ten minutes berating him -especially if he deserved it- he began, "In my defense, I only did so out of the hopes of learning what she knew regarding our current situation and whether or not she'd be...amicable, in aligning her interests with ours."

"Bet that wasn't the only thing she was interested in aligning herself with," Elena mumbled, just loud enough for him to hear."

"I turned her down, of course, after we had an inevitable disagreement."

She could imagine what that had been about. Elena smiled gently. "Thanks, for looking out for me like that."

Elijah smiled back. "Always."

Loosing a breath, Elena checked the screen on the wall. There was only ten minutes left. "Okay, here's what we're going to do. Stefan, I'd assume that Klaus has been making sure you haven't had any access to vervain all summer, right?"

Stefan nodded. "Yeah. This is the first time he's ever compelled me, apart from when he gave me my memories back from when I knew him and Rebekah back in the twenties. Why?"

"Because there's a locker where Ric stashes a bottle of Bourbon that he doesn't think I know about, but I totally do," Elena explained, hoping against hope that he was willing to go along with her crazy idea. "I also started making sure there was some vervain in there, in case something like this ever happened. I keep some in my locker, too -we all do- but this one's closer. It's undiluted, and if I drink it all...when you go to bite me, I'll run out of here and down the corridor, and when you inevitably catch up to me...hopefully it'll hurt enough to get you to stop: I can't trust that Klaus will swoop in and pull you off me in time."

Stefan's eyebrows practically hit the ceiling. "That's your plan? Swig enough vervain that I hopefully don't tear your throat out? Elena, that's crazy!"

"I don't see you coming up with any better ones! I have to try something, Stefan."

"She's right, Stefan," Elijah was swift to come to her defense. "It's a better alternative to doing nothing."

"Fine," Stefan exhaled wearily. "But if this goes wrong..."

"Then the universe gets it's wish: a dead doppelgänger and an army-free Klaus."

After hashing out their plan, Elena went over to sit beside Elijah, resting her head against his shoulder. For a minute, she could almost pretend that time had gone backwards, that it was three weeks ago and they were jumping from hotel to hotel, that it was just another night for them, curled up on the couch watching a movie or reading or talking about whatever was on their mind. But it wasn't three weeks ago, and if this went wrong, she'd never have another night like that with Elijah again.

The prospect seemed worse than dying.

As the buzzer hit the six minute mark, Rebekah and Klaus flounced back in, the former looking smugly indifferent while the other was imperiously victorious.

"I thought you might be interested in knowing, Elena, that your blood worked perfectly on your friend Mr Lockwood. He's now the second most powerful being on the planet. You should be proud."

Klaus arched a brow at her silence. "What, no comeback? Has the cat -or should I say Ripper?- caught your tongue? No matter; you'll be opening your mouth soon enough, I'm sure." Hopping up onto a metal folding table, he surveyed the group with a gleeful expression. "This is all very exciting, isn't it? The tension in the room thick enough to cut, the looming prospect of death, or worse, whatever fate you think I have in store for you if you do survive Stefan's teeth...I couldn't have written it better myself."

"Is that how you see yourself?" Elena couldn't help but ask him. "The master pulling out strings, making us do whatever you want? No wonder you and your siblings can't all be on the same room together."

The hybrid wagged a derogatory finger in her direction. "I see what you're trying to do, love. Drive a wedge, make an escape route, see of you can appeal to one of our better angels...but, newsflash, we don't have any, I'm afraid, so that was pretty pointless. Good try, though: I'd hate to see you give up so easily."

Elena grinned mockingly. "Happy to be of service."

Rebekah took up a perch against the lip of the table, arms crossed tightly over her chest. "Before you go off and get killed, Elena, Nik and I had a question for you, regarding our dear, dear brother."

"Rebekah," Elijah warned darkly, voice thick with wrath, but his sibling refused to heed it.

"We're just asking, Elijah! It's been ages since you've shown such interest in anyone. Hasn't it, Nik?"

"Ages and ages, sister," he agreed with her. "Nearly two hundred years."

"And you see, while we know why Elijah likes you...we want to know what made you pick him. Especially what with your supposed devotion to Stefan, who I know from personal experience is quite the package deal. So, what was it?"

It was ridiculous. Was she really going to spend what could be her final minutes alive talking about why she loved Elijah to them, like they were concerned siblings vetting her to see if she was good enough for their big brother? It was ridiculous, it was unbelievable, it was...

It was her last chance to tell Elijah how she felt, too. After everything, she couldn't have him not know how she felt, how every touch and glance and shred of happiness and kindness and warmth had accumulated into this thing in her chest that she treasured beyond measure.

So, squaring her shoulders, Elena tipped back her head to look the pair square in the eyes and said, "I didn't notice it at first. After you daggered him, I was the one who found him cornered by some of Katherine's cronies, and it felt like the most natural thing in the world to help him out. Despite everything, despite him picking you over our deal, despite the fact that if he hadn't, we might have been able to save my aunt Jenna...I did, and I didn't think twice about it. And he apologized. And your brother, he has a way with words -you could make a car advert sound noble and heroic, you know that?- and I knew that he was being sincere, and that I could trust him. I was alone, and grieving, and I was so worried about Stefan, worried what you might be doing to him that I'd left everyone here behind and went out on my own...and Elijah wasn't even surprised. Everyone thought I was being stupid - crazy, even, after I hadn't walked away alive from our last encounter- but not your brother.

"Your brother...he believed in me, when no one else would. And that's how it started.

"He got me to open up, got me to admit to things I hadn't talked about with anyone, things about my parents and how I still felt responsible for their death, and be helped me let go of some of that guilt. He treated me like a person, an equal, like I was more than just some Katherine carbon-copy, and he never made me feel small or silly despite being like a million years older than me. And I got him to open up, too, and I realized there was so much more to him than I'd realized...that he carried the weight of the world on his shoulders, and always feels like it's his responsibility to fix everything, especially when it comes to you and your family...and I got that: it's how I feel about my own."

Tears were streaming down her face, clinging to her lashes like snowflakes as she choked out the last words, "I picked him because he made me laugh when I wanted to cry. I picked him because he has the most generous and giving heart that I've ever known. I picked him because he took me to the beach just because he wanted to see me smile. I picked him because he noticed what my favourite shirt was and my favourite ice cream flavour and he made me feel like I could do anything I set my mind to, like I was brave and special and that this was all going to be worth it some day...so long as he was there at the end of it. Because he bought me the toy rabbit I wanted for my birthday when he didn't have to. Because he's my best friend, and I couldn't imagine giving my heart to anyone but him. That is why I picked him."

Absolute quiet pervaded the room. She didn't look at Stefan, couldn't bring herself to see whatever was on his face. Klaus looked speechless, Rebekah on the point of tears, and Elijah...

Elijah was looking at her like he'd never looked at her before. Like she had stunned him beyond reason, like the world had just exploded around him. But in a good way. In a very, very good way.

Klaus cleared his throat, the sound overtly loud in silence. "Alright, that clears that up. We'll give you a moment to say goodbye: either way, you won't be seeing him again."

Three minutes. There was only three minutes left on the clock. She'd better make them count. Tilting his face towards her, Elena let her forehead rest against Elijah's as she whispered, "I'm sorry if that was a bit much: I didn't realize I was going to say so much."

He looked at her through a stream of tears. "Elena..."

"It's okay, Elijah, you don't have to say anything. I just wanted you to know, should the worst happen, that I loved you. I love you, and nothing's ever gonna change that, okay? No matter what happens, even if I did or Klaus spirits me away to be some human blood bag, it won't ever change what's in my heart, and I'm sorry you've gone through so much because of me. But you'll get through this, because you're strong, so much stronger than I ever could be. You'll probably make up with your brother in a decade or two and he'll wake up the rest of your family and you can buy some insanely expensive mansion and have your own reality TV show or something. The point is, you'll survive this, and you'll live the rest of your life knowing that I thought the world of you, and I always will until my last breath."

"As will I." Leaning towards her as much as Bonnie's spell would allow, he captured her lips with his, murmuring into her mouth, filling her soul with the courage and strength she needed, "I love you, Elena. I love you so much. More than I've ever loved anyone or anything, more than i ever thought was physically possible. I've spent a thousand years restless and alone, feeling like it was my responsibility to keep my family together, pulling them back from the brink of darkness, that that was all I was...but you make me feel like I'm so much more than that. I never knew what it was like to be truly happy until I spent those few weeks with you. And I wanted every day to be like that, with you. I still do. Which is why I'm asking, no, I'm begging you, Elena, please don't do this. Let me try and undo Klaus' compulsion, let me try something, anything but this."

Elena argued tiredly, "But what good will that do, Elijah? Klaus will likely kill Stefan for disobeying him, then dagger you. I don't accept that; this is the only way."

Her phone chose that precise moment to go off, a text message from Damon flashing across the screen. Well, late was better than never. As for what he'd been doing...she'd worry about that later. She'd most definitely be dead of Klaus saw that message, so she slipped her phone into Elijah's pocket as she leaned in close, "Which is why I want you to promise me that you'll make sure everyone's okay, that Jeremy's okay with Alaric and that my friends know how much I love them, and I'm so sorry for everything they've had to go through."

"I will," Elijah replied instantly. "Of course I will; you don't even need to ask, Elskede."

"I never got to ask you what that means," Elena mused fondly, and he gave her a knowing smile in return. "You're a smart girl, I'm sure you've got some idea."

"You're right," Elena nodded, "I do."

Ever so slightly, Elijah moved his hand so that their fingers just barely touched. "I don't think I can watch you go to your death again," he admitted, his tone so broken-hearted that it broke the little that was left of her own.

"It's okay," she assured him softly, ghosting a loving kiss across his cheek, "you won't have to." She let her gaze meet Stefan's across the room, her eyes holding a silent question for him, one final mercy he could bestow upon her.

A slight hesitation flickered across the planes of his face, but Stefan soon nodded at her request. Good. Pulling away slightly, she looked at the Original one last time. "Be brave, Elijah. And when you wake up in a few minutes, remember that I love you, always and forever."

He opened his mouth, likely to protest or demand some explanation, but Stefan was too fast, and before he could utter another word, the Salvatore had snapped his neck.

Thirty seconds remained.

Sweeping the hair away from his forehead -she'd forgotten to tell him she liked the new haircut- Elena let go and held her hand out to Stefan, who pulled her to her feet gracefully. She held on, though, just a few extra seconds, smiling up at him sadly.

"Thank you for doing that. I really appreciate it."

The vampire shrugged lightly. "It's the least I could do. I remember how I felt when Klaus came to take you; no one should have to feel that."

"I'm sorry."

Stefan squeezed her hand. "I know."

"I never meant to hurt you."

"I know that, too."

Twelve seconds.

"I'm scared, Stefan."

"You should be."

Taking a shot in the dark, Elena added, "For the record...I still love you, Stefan; I'm just not in love with you like I was before the summer."

His next words shouldn't have surprised her, yet they did. "Right, but I'm still in love with you."

Five, four, three...

"Get ready to run, Elena."

...two, one...

The buzzer went off.

Stefan pushed her away. "Go!"

...and Elena ran.

She couldn't outrun him, but she sure as hell tried. She took the vervain, careful not to spill a single drop, and downed it in one go, all the whole running. Still running.

She'd been running for so long now; it was only a matter of time before the wolves caught up to her.

Propelling herself down the next corridor, she was almost at the back exit when...

When the wolf snarled and ensnared her.

Stefan had thought he'd had will power. That after fighting his craving for human blood for so long, he might be able to fight this, too. He was wrong.

Grabbing the first wooden thing he could find -some kind of mop or broom, he wasn't exactly paying attention, he was just about to plunge it into himself when...

When Klaus crowed triumphantly, "Stefan! Look who I found making a run for it."

He'd tried. He'd tried so hard.

Shoving Elena towards him, Stefan barely caught her as the hybrid ordered, "Do it, Stefan! Come on, I know you've been dying to. She tastes rather nice, if I remember."

"*No!"

Klaus cocked his head, examining them quizzically. "I see. The only thing stronger than your craving for blood is your love for this one girl. How quaint. How it must eat at you, then, to see her look at my brother with such tenderness and admiration, how even as we speak, as you hold her in your arms, she can only think of him. Don't you hate that? Don't you wish you could just...turn it all off?"

Oh, God.

"Stefan! Stefan, don't! Don't do it!" Elena struggled, trying to get out of his grip, and he let her, watching with vague detachment as she tumbled to the floor.

"Stefan, don't let him do this to you! Please!"

Yanking him by the shoulders, Klaus compelled him with a roar, "Turn it off!"

So he did.

He let it go. He let it all go. All his guilt, all his grief, all his happiness and sadness and anguish and hurt and love...he let it all go.

"Now, Stefan, how would you feel about taking a drink from the doppelgänger's neck?"

His fangs came out and his eyes turned black in answer.

Her scream as he tore her throat open was like music to his ears.

Author's Note: Hi, everyone! Happy Christmas Eve Eve (as in, the day before, the day before Christmas) This is my gift to you all, a new chapter. I had trouble with this one initially, and then I discovered The West Wing...and binged all seven seasons in about three weeks, and am now devoted to Josh Lyman and his dimples. So, I thought, why not just write whatever the heck I want to write and see what comes out? The results of which are the chapter you just read. I hope you enjoyed it, and I'm already at work on the next, which I plan to finish before New Years if I can.

FYI, I wrote this whilst listening to the songs A Girl, A Boy and A Graveyard by Jeremy Messersmith, Keep Yourself Warm by Frightened Rabbit, Miss Friday by Nico Stai and A Million Years by Alexander Ebert.

Anyways, thank you so much for reading and I wish you all a Merry Christmas -to those who don't celebrate or celebrate other things, I wish you a happy holiday full of love and cheer.

All my love, Temperance Cain.