Thank you for all the reviews! Glad to know people are still reading this story! =)

victoria: Thank you :) I hope this chapter satisfies you :D

chelsie: Aww thank you! I haven't yet watched the episode, but I will!

Rye: Thanks for your review! :) Don't worry, Klaus wants Stefan as a friend ;)

Enjoy!

Chapter Nine PART 1 (Damon's POV):

"Stefan!" Damon raced up the stairs, flung the door open to his brother's room, and ran towards the bed.

His brother wasn't there.

Frantic, he turned around and saw Elijah at the doorway.

"What have you done with my brother?!"

Elijah stepped aside and Stefan came into view, dazed...and with a stake pointed at his heart, held by another man.

Damon glared at the stake-wielding man, guessing that this could be only one person.

"Klaus."

The man sighed in frustration. "Why doesn't everyone sound more happy to see me? I've only got the potential to save Stefan."

"Can you be a bit more certain than 'potential', please? My brother's life is on the line."

"Can you be a bit friendlier? I have a short temper."

"You'd better give us the cure quickly then."

Klaus smiled appreciatively, but still held the stake to Stefan's chest.

"I'm not sure I like your attitude. Doesn't Elena hate that part of you? Or does she just hate the whole of you now, as you seem to offer to turn her against her wishes?"

Damon chose not to reply, glaring at the stake. "Would you please remove that away from my brother?"

Klaus looked at the stake, as if he'd forgotten it was there. "Oh yeah, sure, I'd never hurt a dear friend." He tossed it from hand to hand. "His brother, on the other hand..."

With a quick flick of his wrist, the stake flew towards Damon and embedded itself into his right leg, effectively making him fall to the floor with a grunt.

Stefan's weak voice made its way to Damon's ears. "Stop!"

Klaus grinned and clapped Stefan on the back, which nearly sent him toppling over. "Don't worry Stefan, I won't damage him. Much."

Damon saw Elijah roll his eyes in the background and lean back against the wall, folding his arms and looking very much like he was going to stay for long.

Tensing, Damon pulled the stake out with a wince, and chucked it to the side.

"Why are you even here? To pay respects to a dying old friend? It doesn't make sense, if it was just to kill me for promising to turn Elena, you could have done it ages ago."

Elijah sighed and spoke up. "My brother is a man of theatrics."

Klaus smiled crookedly. "Why rush into things? Playing is much more fun."

Damon growled and slowly stood back up. "This isn't fun! Look at him!" He pointed at Stefan, who was pale with a sickly sheen covering his face and trembling ever so slightly. "Does he look like he's having a good time?"

Stefan gazed at his brother with a slight shake of the head. "Damon..."

"What, Stefan? You want me to shut up? I don't think it matters anymore, he's not going to save you, he will kill me and use Elena in the ritual. We've lost three times over already."

Klaus put on a puppy dog face. "Aww, how heart wrenching."

"It won't...end like this." With all his effort trained on his speech, Stefan shifted slightly to face Klaus full on. "You may have...taken my memories...but you have not...forgotten yours. How could we have...been so close, yet you are driven...to cause this pain?"

Klaus' face grew serious. "You were a different person then."

Stefan laughed/coughed (Damon couldn't tell the difference) and patted his chest. "I am still...Stefan Salvatore. Ripper or not."

Klaus stayed silent for a few minutes, causing Damon to think he had become speechless.

He waved his hand in front of the Original's face. "We really don't have the time for - "

He was interrupted by Klaus. "I have a proposition to make. If I save Stefan, then he must join me while I travel on my duties, for...let's say, 10 years?"

Damon pretended to think about it. "Umm...I don't think so."

Klaus smirked. "I knew you would say that, but let's ask our mutual friend."

They all turned to face Stefan, who's eyes widened at the attention.

"What about it, mate? We could travel the world together! Be best of mates, like we once were. Almost like...brotherhood."

Damon put his hands up. "Ah, see, he already has a brother: Me."

Klaus glared at him "Not for long, if you don't shut up."

Turning back to Stefan, he put his hands on his shoulders. "Think about it, Stefan. I will use Elena in the ritual, she has to die. Without her here, do you really think your brother will stay? He was only here, waiting, so that if you made a mistake with her, he could swoop in and save the day...like in Georgia."

Damon frowned. "How did you know...?"

"I have spies everywhere. And I thought I told you to shut up. Anyway, there will be nothing - and no one - to stay for after the full moon, Stefan. Join me. And..." leaning closer, he whispered enticingly "You will see so many wonders of the world."

The look of hesitation on Stefan's face could have killed Damon, yet it made him bolder. This Original had no right to storm into their lives like this.

Striding forward, he managed to grab one of Klaus' arms and pull it away from Stefan.

With a shout of anger, Klaus twisted and pinned him to the wall.

"Stop interfering! Where were you when Stefan became lost in the 1920's? Where were you when he spiralled into his world of despair and hunger, fuelling his anger into becoming the Ripper? I found him. I befriended him! He became my friend, something you two cannot have, with your past! He's mine! He's - "

"I am no one's."

Both Damon's and Klaus' heads snapped towards Stefan, sounding stronger than he had ever been in the past few days. "Both of you didn't help me. One left me, the other was so delighted in my evilness, he encouraged it! I don't recall either of those being acts of brotherhood. I want you to let him go, Klaus. I'd rather die than see anyone fighting over me. I am not worth it."

Klaus frowned, but didn't let him go, while Damon glared. "You are worth it, Stefan."

Stefan shook his head. "I've existed for 162 years, that should be enough. It's obviously not as long as Originals, but I don't know what drives you to live this long, Klaus...Love? Anger? Power? Anyway, I suppose I was glad to be your friend in 1922, I'm sure it was an experience I didn't want to forget. Thank you."

His eyes shifted to Damon's. "You followed me wherever I went. For misery, or for company - they will forever be linked - but thank you for never letting me go, for being there for me - most of the time - " He doubled over in sudden agony, crying out as his energy was fully spent "and for loving me. It's all I ever wanted, and..." He took huge breaths, trying to calm the pain. "I love you...and wish you the best in life, and...don't fight - "

With a last cry of pain, Stefan gasped for air before toppling to the floor, motionless.

Three heads followed his trajectory to the ground, mouths open in shock, two with an unmistakeable shine in their eyes.

Klaus slowly released Damon, who rushed to his brother's body. "Stefan? Speak to me!"

He frantically tried to find a pulse, but his hands were shaking, and he couldn't steady them.

Jumping up, he rounded on Klaus, fire in his eyes.

"You killed him!"

Please review :)

- Please don't hate me for this suspense! Stefan's fate will be revealed in PART 2! :)

- By the way, this story has about 2 more chapters left, then it's finished :'(