Stefan & Elena Chapter 7

Matt woke up facedown in the dirt, his head hurt and the there was an awful buzzing sound in his ears. Moaning he rolled over and grabbed his head, the pain and buzzing increased to a mind splintering pitch. Mat could feel the night, he heard crickets that's chirps were deafening. He could feel and hear everything and the assault on his senses were driving him mad. Focusing on the sounds he began to push past the pain and focus, gradually he could push down the overwhelming volume to a manageable level.

Pushing to his feet Matt recognized the area as near Old Wickery Bridge. Flashes of memory assaulted him, meeting the strange woman being bitten, being compelled. The memories flew at him like an assault of birds. He knew he had to get out of there, now before she came back. He couldn't go home, his mom was gone, and he needed someone. Caroline, she would help him go to the police; she could take him to the hospital.

Matt was running before he realized it flying through the forest at warp speed, he was at Caroline's in moments. "I'm hallucinating, he mumbled to himself, trying to rationalize but there was a part of him that knew he wasn't.

He walked onto the porch and made it to the first step as Caroline opened the door. Matt wasn't sure what happened one minute he was looking at Caroline the next he was grabbing her trying to bite her throat. Everything vanished into a red haze of bloodlust; his mind seemed to work on two different levels. A part of him was horrified at what he was doing, the more animal portion of his brain wanted to rip and tear, satisfying his hunger.

He was denied both and found himself slammed to the ground with Caroline holding him down. Her eyes were veiny and her fangs were out, memory hit Matt of Caroline attacking him, sobbing later compelling him to forget. In that moment Matt knew the truth, Caroline was a vampire, and somehow now he was too.

Caroline breathed deeply pulling herself back from that dark part herself. Matt's expression had cleared and he seemed to be lucid and not driven by blood for the moment.

"Matt, I'm going to let you up, I want you to focus on me I'm going to help you okay."

Matt nodded.

Caroline pulled him to his feet and led him to her car settling him inside she locked the doors and reached into the glove box. Handing him a silver flask, she started the car and headed out of town toward the boardinghouse.

Matt unscrewed the cap and the scent of blood hit his nostrils, he gulped the contents and crushed the delicate flask in his hand.

"Easy Matt, Caroline soothed helping to focus him back to reality".

"Just breathe, okay focus on the air, it'll be okay."

Caroline drove with one hand keeping the other on Matt's arm to anchor him; she understood how unstable he was in this moment.

Pulling up to the boardinghouse Caroline turned to Matt.

"We're going to get out of the car and talk to Damon and Stefan, this is going to be alright, you'll learn how to live and the cravings will slow down it will be alright."

"How long have you been this way Cara?"

The betrayal in his eyes was almost her undoing.

"Since the accident, Damon gave me some of his blood to heal me and I was killed by another vamp at the hospital and came back like this."

"It was a lot like what you're going through, but I killed someone and I don't want that for you."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Why didn't you just come clean about what happened?" Matt was struggling to understand.

"What should I have said Matt?" Oh by the way I died and now I'm a vamp, you would have had me committed."

"Right now, we have to get you some blood, get your cravings under control, and figure out where Isobel is before someone else gets hurt."

Caroline got out and took Matt's arm, knocking she waited till Stefan answered the door.

"Matt, Caroline," Stefan nodded. "Come on in."

Matt stepped into the boardinghouse and the sound of heartbeats seemed to fill the air. He could here Elena on the second floor with the baby. The sound of their hearts seemed to drown out any other sounds. Grabbing his head Matt staggered backward and grasped the door for support, clinging frantically to stop himself from killing.

Stefan grabbed his right arm and Damon flanked his left taking him toward the basement.

"Caroline, go get some blood out of the fridge Stefan nodded", Caroline flashed into motion.

"Matt we have to get you to the basement the sun's coming up and it'll fry you". Matt nodded and focused on holding onto his sanity.

They helped him into a small basement room and Caroline pressed a bag of blood into his hand, he gulped it down sucking the bag dry he tossed it aside and grabbed the other bag Caroline offered.

When it was gone he could feel himself calming down, he could still hear Elena and the baby but the urge to kill was muted and manageable.

"Do you know where Isobel took you?" Stefan questioned

"An old house, I'm not sure of the exact location, she questioned me about Elena she compelled me to kidnap her and to meet her at Fells Church at midnight."

"Why Fells Church and why tonight?" Elena asked as she joined them.

"I'm not sure Elena, but there was someone else with her, a woman that I've never seen before."

"This woman that was with her gave me goose bumps; there was something about her that was creepy."

"She stood in the background mostly and listened to John and Isobel as they talked about you."

"Was John, was he human?' Elena questioned

"From what I could see, he was Elena he didn't seem like a vamp to me." Matt replied.

Caroline came back in carrying more blood.

"I'm going to spend today with Matt; we can talk about all this tonight.

Stefan, Damon, and Elena left the room.

"What do we do now?" Elena looked at both brothers as they walked upstairs.

"Do we meet them at Fells Church, or do we just keep waiting for them to make the next move?"

"I say we catch them before they get to the church and invite them for a little hickory stake." Damon smiled.

"How do we…" The sound of glass shattering sent Stefan flying up the stairs.

Stopping in the nursery doorway he stared at the broken window and empty crib. Joey was gone!

Stefan streaked out the window into the light of dawn all senses open and listening, he could feel another's presence but he couldn't catch their scent.

The other vampire was gone and they had stolen his son.

Elena met him in the yard and she was hysterical, she had Joey's blanket in one hand and was going toward the woods surrounding the house with a single minded expression.

"Elena, Stefan gave her a hard shake. There was nothing she had a blank look and tears were streaking down her face occasional she emitted a strangled sob.

Elena's cell began ringing and she answered with almost robotic movements.

"Hello," her voice was raw and hushed even to her own ears.

"My grandson and I are having quite the visit, Isobel laguhed into the phone."

"He is such a healthy vibrant child; it would be a shame if something happened."

Something in Elena snapped, perhaps the Petrova fire that Katherine had spoken about ran deeper than she thought.

"What do you want Isobel? Elena's voice was ice cold.

"You, Fells Church at midnight, come alone or the little spawn dies slowly".

"Hurt my child and I'll turn into a vampire, hunt you down and kill you slowly".

Elena's voice was cold and clear.

"Midnight." Isobel said and the line went dead.

To be cont…..