A/N; I am probably going to get some hate for this chapter. Its the Hero / Villan confrontation and its really intense. Lots of language. Be warned. That is what you get with Damon and Klaus clashing. But I hope you enjoy it all the same.
Klaus was headed to pick up his doppelganger. Finally she was his and he could save Caroline. He trusted his witch Maddox and actually walked confidently and slowly in the direction of the cave. Maddox had been his most trusted witch for years now, and he knew if anyone would find them he would. The magic and power that man had at his disposal made him a force to be reckoned with. And his motivation to find out who killed the woman he loved gave him so much drive to do Klaus' bidding.
It was finally almost over. His Caroline was safe he knew, thankful he thought of getting Maddox to place a boundary spell around her and now he was on his way to get Elena.
Everything was finally aligning for him to destroy his father once and for all.
He was amazed it had taken so much for him to capture her. He thought after what he had discretely witnessed in the tomb and told the wolf to do whatever he could to bite Stefan before he was through with him, that getting to her would be easy. But that damn wolf just kept pushing things and almost killed both of the Salvatores which was not part of the deal.
All he had wanted to find out was who she was closet too and exploit that to get her to cooperate with him and give herself up to be sacrificed. He did not count on what the damn wolf had done to her in the tomb to unearth such powerful feelings for the other brother who now seemed to be much more of an adversary than he had anticipated.
He had seen that vengeful wolf stalking his doppelganger hidden in the shadows by her house when he arrived at Mystic Falls late that night after getting all the information from Rose before killing her. Damon was none the wiser and was watching her from outside her window too.
Klaus had followed the wolf in the middle of the night and all it took him to get the full sob story was getting him very drunk at The Grill. He had found the perfect scapegoat for his plan, hearing him looking for a woman named Katherine that had been in Mystic Falls back in 1864. And he lied to him, telling him he knew where she was and to continue with his own plan to destroy the vampire Stefan who he said was with her back then. All the wolf had to do to get her location from Klaus was report back to him about Elena and her vampires.
He trudged through the woods, his mind deep in thought about how things went. He could have just taken her right from the tomb or even from the mansion when she was asleep in the vampire Damon's arms, but he loved the chase and this time he realized his cockiness was the reason he was out in the forest searching everywhere for the damn woman.
If only he hadn't played with her just to find out what he was up against. To find out who would come after him to save her once he took her or how far her knights would go to get her back from him.
He couldn't break the curse without the damn moonstone so even with it being the full moon that night there was nothing more he could do till he had that stone.
He had been completely surprised to learn that the bitch Katherine that had eluded him for 500 years was trapped right in that very same tomb, in the same town right where the wolf Brody was planning to torture Stefan whom he said was somehow stuck down there. She was the last one that he knew had his moonstone and he needed that to break his curse. That and the lovely Elena.
Klaus kicked up a branch laying on the ground in the way as he walked past. So much had happened since then and after almost stealing Elena away the day before, now he found himself wanting the back up plan he had already put in motion to work more than ever, so he would not have to kill her. He always had a back up plan and had been waiting for hundreds of years to find another doppelganger. But Caroline loved her like a sister it seemed and he found that the more he fell for his queen, the more he wanted to do whatever she wanted him to do.
So he had scrapped the plan to kill the doppelganger and awaken himself as a hybrid and decided to use the her children's blood instead. He realized he did not want power or need an army. He just needed to destroy his father before he came after Caroline. He wanted to make Caroline happy. Hell he wanted to just run away completely and forgot about all of this. But something was stopping him from doing that. Something powerful that he could not explain or understand.
He looked up as he walked, happy that this chase was almost over. He would never have been so cocky if he knew how hard these vampire brothers would fight to keep her safe. And now knowing she was indeed pregnant with Damon's babies he had no doubt that the vampire would die for her and his children and fight like fucking hell to keep her away from him.
He smirked to himself that his witch had bested the father-to-be already. All he had to do was take her now and he was even willing to offer him to come along and see that he meant what he said when he would not harm their little babies. If only they would believe him.
Klaus sniffed the air and caught the scent of a vampire blood. Vampire blood mixed with a tinge of human. He could smell the human ever so faintly. His eyes darted around as he shut out all other woodland sounds listening for running, breaking branches, leaves rustling. There was hardly any wind and no storm coming it seemed. Only a cloudy, dark sky above.
His head whipped around as he focused his vampire hearing. Why the hell would there be human blood out here?! The only humans he knew of were Elena and the witch girl that he had trapped in the shed with the werewolf. He had not made it to where Maddox said the cave was yet. Had they somehow defeated his witch and ran again?!
He cursed under his breath and broke into a run and followed the smell of vampire blood getting stronger with each step he took.
Damon was stumbling through the woods, cutting open his wound on his good arm every few minutes to drip blood on the ground. He had even found some of Elena's blood on his neck after the wolf had cut across her shoulder with the ax and he wiped it off and onto some leaves nearby. Anything to get Klaus to think she was as far away from where she really was.
Elena? He called out for her in his head. Baby, please tell me Jeremy got you to Elijah's witches by now. He leaned his head on the tree behind him just catching his breath and rearranging the pillows to make sure it looked like she was in his arms. Elena please, tell me you are safe. That is all I want baby. Please. He shut his eyes and just waited to hear her answer him but he heard nothing but the light wind in the trees.
Damn it Elena, I need to know my angels are okay! he snarled out to her. But there was still no answer. He cursed the power that he had grown to depend on to make sure he could protect her and know how she was and wondered if she was too far away. Maybe there was a limit to how far their telepathic connection could reach?
He swore under his breath again and just debated running back to her. He had this bad feeling that something was very wrong. He could not explain it but he felt like he needed to go to her. He sighed deeply. To hell with the plan, and ran as fast as he could back the other way.
His mind was racing with all the possibilities why she had not heard him. Was she hurt, unconscious, did vampires attack her and Jeremy as they ran to the cabin? Hell did Klaus have her already and was taking her away from him? He swore at himself that he even thought it was a good idea to leave her. Why didn't he just stay with her and get them both safe?
Hell he knew why. Cause Klaus was too strong and could not be killed and by him leading him away or at least he hoped he was, then at least he was not following her. That was the only play that made sense or had even the slightest chance of working.
He blinked away tears that seemed way to close to the surface all the time, especially since finding out she loved him and that he was going to be a dad. He had melted into a puddle of sensitivity, love and adoration of her for all she was and what she was giving him. The cocky badass that never thought he would settle down was running toward the only thing in his life that mattered now.
Damon raced through the forest, his mind only on her and he had been calling her over and over in his head and still had not gotten any answer. What the hell was wrong?! She had to be okay. There was no version of his life he could imagine that she wasn't in. He lifted his head up praying under his breath that there was a god up there that heard him and his plea for his family.
The next second he felt himself flying back, having crashed hard into something that ripped through his stomach as he screamed and the blanket decoy fell from his arms as he put his hands out flailing to protect himself.
Damon felt pain, SO much pain just tearing through his stomach and he dared to look down to see a thick, sharp tree branch all the way impaled through his back and sticking out in front of him. He shook his head from where it had hit the tree behind him and refocused his eyes in front of him.
He saw boots. Dark, black boots just a few feet in front of his and his eyes followed the boots up the body to the black trenchcoat and dark jeans and Damon let out a gasp before he even saw his face, knowing full well who it was.
"Klaus," he choked out with a raise of his eyebrows at him, fighting through the insane stabbing from the wood, wondering if in the next second he would be dead. His desire to live and to get that damn cure from him was stronger than his fear of him. But he had no strength to pull the damn branch out of his stomach. He felt so dizzy too from slamming his head on the tree, feeling another wound on his head drip blood down his forehead and slide past his ear. "Fancy meeting you here," he drawled, trying to sound casual.
Klaus walked slowly up to the blanket that had fallen out of Damon's arms and lifted up the corner revealing the pillows that started spilling out onto the ground. Damon just leaned his head back tasting his own blood at his lips and laughed through what felt like needles in his gut all over.
"She is not here dick," he smirked at him as his head pounded, the pain in his stomach ripped through him over and over, almost as bad as vervain. He bent his head, his eyes on his enemies. "And you are never getting your fucking hands on her! Not while I am still breathing." His eyes were yellow with rage, just wishing he had the strength to get up.
Damon tried to pulled on the branch through his body as his eyes were squeezed shut from the pain till he felt something heavy on his leg and opened his eyes to see Klaus' boot pushing him back deeper into onto the branch. "Ahh," he screamed out gritting his teeth and glaring up at the vampire holding his life in his hands.
Klaus knelt down eye level to him. "Well you not breathing could be arranged Damon," he hissed at him, holding up another sharp branch and raking it across his artery, letting the blood spill down his body before it healed. "Tell me where she is."
Damon laughed again and smirked back at him. "You think I am stupid? That I would actually tell you that?" He scoffed at him and grunted in more torment as Klaus pushed the branch back more into the skin of his neck, drawing more blood out. "Your vampires, hell your witch bitch tried to get to her and they lost. I will never let you have her! I will kill anyone that tries to hurt her!"
Klaus laughed back at him but at the same time felt a tug of shock. Had Damon some how killed Maddox? "I think you are forgetting that yours truly here can't be killed. Besides, you don't look like you are in any condition to be making such threats little vampire."
Then he ripped the branch across the side of Damon's face above his eye and grabbed his head, leveling it to his. "Tell me where she is," he snarled, compelling him.
Damon's eyes went wider as he stared at him. "I need to tell you where she is," he said in a monotone voice.
Now it was Klaus' turn to smirk as he eyed the long thick veins from the werewolf toxin in him. "Yes, tell me and I promise you I will heal you and your brother once I have her." He remembered this vampire fighting his compulsion before. But he was determined that that was not going to be something that would soon happen again.
Damon gritted his teeth, his eyes glaring back at Klaus as he opened his mouth. "I can't..." he choked out fighting him. Klaus grabbed his head by the hair, the blood from his wounds sliding down to cake his eyelashes with fresh red blood and running down his face.
"Yes you can. Spit it out!" Klaus hissed in his face, his impatience at its breaking point.
Damon scrunched up his face and cried out as Klaus again pushed on the wood still embedded in his belly. His hands were clutching at the dirt and grass on the ground fighting the pain. "I can't..." And then his face broke into a full Damon Salvatore classic smirk, "believe you fell for that crap Original."
He grinned at him seeing his face turn from impatience to full on rage. "Vervain sure is a shitty acquired taste..." Damon was laughing again despite the pain, "but it was SO worth the look on your face."
Klaus stood up to his full height backing away from him. He had tricked him?! He was on vervain too, just like Katherine was! "You...you think this is funny!?" he snapped at him and kicked him in the mouth with his boot and Damon's head smashed into the tree again.
The black haired vampire lifted his head that was now pounding harder and he could feel fresh blood on his swollen lip and down the back of his neck. He squinted up at him through the blood running into his eye and further down his cheek as he grinned. "I think it is fucking hilarious."
He coughed thinking the stake might have gotten the edge of his lung, but he could not stop smiling despite gasping for breath."I'm just the distraction, dumbass. So was your brother. It was his brilliant idea. You waste your time on me while the whole time MY Elena," he spit out blood from his mouth with gusto, "is getting further and further away from you and your sick plan that will NEVER happen!"
Klaus stood still for a few moments just taking in all that Damon said. She had never been here? Why did Maddox say he had them? Elijah and him were nothing but pawns when he was after the queen? Where was she then? He took a few deep breaths his head full of questions, while reining in his anger so he could think clearly. This was not the time to go off half cocked.
He looked back at the weak vampire in love with his doppelganger and bent back down to his level. "Oh my plan will happen Damon. With or without you...I will have her. You were welcome to come along too and be with her. To see that I would not harm your children. But you just seem intent on pissing me off and tempting me to leave you out here to die."
"I'm pissing you off?!" Damon snapped back at him, again trying to pull the branch out of his gut. His skin was trying to heal around the damn branch, not understanding why the foreign object was still in him. "You are the one coming after little unborn babies. My babies!"
"I wouldn't have to if you would just trust me that I don't have a choice! Caroline will die if I don't. A horrible gruesome and if I'm right fiery death just for loving me! My father loves his style."
He dialed Maddox's number and held the phone to his ear watching Damon to make sure he stayed put. The ringing then echoed from around them and Klaus realized it was coming from Damon.
He studied him smirking again at him. "Oh yeah, did I forget to mention we killed your witch. Dead, dead, dead," Damon singsonged, his eyebrows waggling. "Actually just two deads. Took him somehow coming back to life once first. But don't worry, he is very destroyed now. I made sure he had no heart left."
Klaus growled at him hardly believing what he was hearing. "You killed Maddox?" he whispered to him, slamming his phone off and shoving it back in his pocket.
"Umm, yeah." Damon's voice raised an octave again as he spoke, nearly spitting the words out. "The bastard was kissing, licking and fucking fondling my girl right in front of me and telling us even once you had Elena that he would come in and take advantage of her cause she reminded him of an ex or something," Damon snapped at him, not even wanting to remember it.
"So he did have you all the way out here? She was here?" Klaus surmised and saw even more so that he was right as Damon cursed under his breath. He was shocked to hear what his not so faithful witch was planning to do behind his back and was happy he was dead too.
Damon was feeling so dizzy and weak that he was not thinking clearly hardly believing that he let it slip that she had been all the way out here in the woods.
"So she isn't safe yet then hmm Damon?" The blue eyed vampire kept his mouth shut then.
"Since you sound so insistent on not cooperating then..." He pulled a syringe out of his pocket and waved it in front of him seeing his eyes go wider. "Why don't we arrange a little head start for me then shall we and see if I can't catch up to your girl?"
Damon was struggling to free himself, fighting harder now having no fucking clue what was in that syringe. "No, you leave her alone!" This was not funny anymore. Fun and game time, baiting and teasing the bastard had long past.
He flinched as Klaus stabbed it into his neck and he cried out at the intensity of the pain. "What the hell was that?!" he growled at him.
Klaus was grinning now and chiding him. "Poor little vampire. Arrogant and stupid enough to think you could actually beat me at my own game. You might as well get comfortable, because this spot...right here, bathed in your own blood…is where you will stay till she is long gone."
"Elena! Wake up!" Jeremy was yelling, shaking her as he knelt in the grass as her head was limply hanging down from his arm. "Elena you need to wake up!" He glanced back at the cabin in the distance and stood up ready to just run her there. Maybe he could get her conscious once they got there.
He took one more glance around him to make sure there were no hidden enemies before he turned back forward and was ready to sprint ahead. But just as he started to blur forward a figure stepped into view and between him and the cabin!
Jeremy gasped seeing the vampire standing in front of them, nearly covered in blood as he stood there snarling at them. Oh shit! What could he do?! He glared back at him showing his own fangs as he let Elena slip to the ground at his feet. He could not fight him in any way with her in his arms.
The vampire just stood there watching them and he had no idea what it was going to do. It looked like it could be high on blood and maybe he could outsmart it. He swallowed hard at the smell of blood just wafting on the wind toward him and forced his new cravings back down. He needed to focus now...not feed. He swung the stake gun forward from on his back, ready to level it at the vampire in warning. But just the sight of the weapon seemed to anger it and it charged forward snarling and growling at him.
Jeremy held his breath, aiming and squeezing the trigger at the moving target as he blurred toward them. It was a one in a million shot that he would even hit it at that speed. He wanted to shut his eyes, so scared to see what happened. He had only one shot, there was not time to reload another stake.
The creature screamed as the stake hit its mark. Not lethal but from what Jer saw he got him in the shoulder and power of the shot took him down to the ground in its momentum.
He wasted no time seeing him down and scooped up his unconscious sister and sped past the growling monster. He didn't dare look back as he heard more sounds behind him and just knew it must have already gotten up and given chase. He blurred Elena as fast as he could in the direction of the cabin.
The young vampire let out a scream as he felt pain in his leg as the rapid creature must have thrown the stake at him. But he did not stop or even falter seeing the cabin ahead of him. He limped slightly, wincing at the pain in his leg and at the last second he realized that Elena would be able to get through the door but he wouldn't! He was not invited in...
He did not want to die like that at the hands of a crazy vampire. But right now all he was thinking was getting his sister and her babies into the damn cabin before the it stopped him.
He threw her through the door, her limp body sliding on the floor into the living room as he crashed into the invisible wall. He spun around just as the vampire, stake raised to plunge it into his heart swung down and he grabbed for the creatures hand fighting to keep the stake away from him.
Jeremy grunted and fought, using all his strength and pushed the vampire back and off balance tripping him and sending them both crashing to the ground. He snarled and gnashed his fangs at him, managing to bite him on the arm causing him to scream out in pain. But the vampire was so strong likely from all the blood it had been gorging on.
He looked back at the cabin knowing she was safe as he felt the vampire's hands around his throat and then everything went dark.
Damon was coughing from the stake scraping his lung as he felt a coldness just race through him. He felt his hands just ice cold and he could not even move them to find out what happened.
He glared up at Klaus just standing over him. "What the hell did you do to me dick?!"
Klaus smiled sadly almost looking remorseful for what he had done, while bending down and lifted Damon's limp hand up to show him his arm. Damon sucked in his weak, trembling breath and watched in horror as the dark black veins spiraled up his arms and almost up to his shoulder and then bending his head he saw the veins creep toward his heart!
"What the f-?' he gasped out. How was the werewolf toxin working so fast in his body?
"Not so funny now, eh Damon?" Klaus said dryly. "That is my witches blend. Werewolf poison mixed with an accelerant they created." He watched Damon's eyes widen in sheer disbelief at what he was saying. Finally that obnoxious smirk was off his face.
"Mmm hmm. It skips past all the hallucinations and throwing up blood and the ghastly wicked scabs that spread from the wound site and goes right to the main event of destroying your organs."
Damon could hardly believe his eyes. His skin looked fine except for the veins spreading much faster than he saw Stefan's go. The only wound was the small gash on his palm still. Shit this was how Klaus planned to kill him?! "Why, why are you doing this?" he pleaded feeling his throat thick with his own blood. "You won't..."
"I won't what?" he asked him.
"You won't...win!" Damon said with venom in his tone, his blue orbs flashing like lightning in the sky.
"Oh I assure you I will. I gave you a chance to come with me. To trust that I would never harm the children my spell allowed you to create. I gave you a chance for a family, and as a vampire no less! With a woman you love so much. All I needed was your trust that I am a man of my word."
Damon snarled at him at him, feeling blood in his throat. Skipping throwing up blood my ass, he thought. His eyes narrowed and blazed yellow again. "Your word?! I will never trust you! You can go to hell!"
"Sorry I guess maybe it just skips the hallucinations I can't quite remember," Klaus shrugged. I still have this vial of my blood Damon. Right here." He took it out of his jacket pocket and showed it to him. Tossing it up in his hands. "This can all go away. All the pain, all the smell of death and feeling of your organs shutting down one by one. Just trust me that I will not harm your love or your children and come with us. All I need is to keep her long enough for your children to be born and then to kill my father to save Caroline."
He brightened slightly at a thought. "Or better yet, help me kill him Damon. We would be an incredible team. All to save the love of your life and mine too. Help me."
Damon leaned over puking up blood, feeling the coldness of the poison flood through him. He looked back up with fire in his eyes, remembering Klaus dragging his body to the door of the cabin after his damn hand had been around his heart.
You think you have won, Elena, he remembered him saying while dragging him on his knees in front of his terrified precious girl. Invite me in...or I'll kill him.
Then more memories flooded through him as he lay aching for his next breath.
Yes do dare angel, he remembered Klaus mocking him, his hand around his fucking heart.
Even you wouldn't crawl into bed with a dead man...his heart may be yours but right now it is mine...and I will take it from both of you!
Maybe I don't want be near her or want HER at all...maybe I want what is IN her?
You can't protect them forever Damon...
I will find a way to get to her...even if I have to burn the damn cabin down to the ground to force you out!
Damon shook his head at the Original monster destroying his very life before his eyes while he glared up at him. "Fuck you! Fuck your promises and you wanting to be a team! I'll never help you or trust a word out of your damn mouth!" he snarled out venomously, blood dripping down the sides of his mouth as he choked on more blood in his throat.
Klaus sighed and actually look disappointed in him as he tucked the vial of healing blood back in his jacket. He pulled out his phone again and switched it on. He reached for Damon's shirt and ripped open the sleeve of the arm that was full of poison. "Any last words?" he said smoothly.
Damon laughed, gagging on more blood. "Yeah, give me your blood and let me go," he mumbled dryly raising his eyebrows in an attempted smirk but he ended up coughing again.
"I meant to Elena," Klaus revealed with a knowing glance.
Damon pulled his head up to look at him seeing his phone. "No, don't you dare! She can't see me like this!"
"Too late, already rolling."
Damon shut his eyes, feeling the blood crackling against his skin as it was drying on his face. If somehow he did find her, she was already seeing this. What could he say? He looked like hell. Seeing him like this would tear her apart inside.
"Elena, baby," he rasped out and then felt more blood force its way up his throat and he tried to swallow it back down, before his throat refused to cooperate and the blood spurted out past his lips and down his chest. "Please, please Elena, remember what I told you. Remember who is more important. I love you so much my angel."
He saw Klaus moving the camera down his body, no doubt showing her how nasty his bite already was and how close to his heart the poison was. "You take care of my babies, sweetness."
The wounded young vampire took a deep breath which was next to impossible now. "Don't do what he wants. Don't trust him ever! Fight baby to get away..."
Klaus slammed the phone off, cutting him off as he knew he would. But he prayed it was enough for her to fight to resist him and keep their children safe. He chided him for trying that but he wasn't surprised.
"Tsk, tsk tsk. That was not helpful you know," the Original scolded him.
Damon full on puked up blood, feeling his stomach clenching. "Oh I know," he smiled even though it felt like his stomach lining just came up with the blood, as he looked back up at him.
Klaus bent down on his knee again. "I'm not trying to kill you Damon."
Damon laughed at that. "Oh you could have fooled me."
"I just need you out of the way long enough to get her out of here. And you have proven you will do anything to stop me and get her safe. You are a very worthy adversary. Which is why I think you would make such a great ally against my father."
"Not on your life Klaus. Your dad, your business." He gagged again just shaking feeling so dizzy. "But you are right. That is the love of my life carrying my babies and I will walk through fire for her and burn alive if it meant she lived."
"Wow, you sound very motivated already. Maybe you don't need this." Klaus held out a vial full of blood.
Damon's expression changed and he smiled at him. "Awe changed your mind about killing me already, dick?" he mocked him but inside he was feeling so scared that he would not get out of this.
Klaus almost took the vial back. "Would you stop being a bloody ass for two seconds! I'm giving you a chance! This here is my blood." He saw Damon breath a sigh of relief. "But its not going to heal you. It's not that easy." He held it up eye level swirling it in the bottle. "Another witchy concoction made just for this kind of situation. You have got to know by now that I always come prepared."
He put it down a few feet away, leaned up against the tree in front of him. "If you can get to this...it will delay the poison and your symptoms but not indefinitely. If you don't I'd say you have maybe an hour before the venom eats through your organs. And if you do decide to come with us and stop being your cocky ass self and cooperate, then I will give you the cure too, just like your brother."
"You will never get to her," Damon spit at him, feeling more blood coming up his throat.
Klaus turned to leave. "Well lets see. I know she didn't make it past the north highway and that is the only way into this little quaint lake house area. I have people watching it for me. And she hasn't got many places to hide." He raised his eyebrows as he spoke. "Elijah is down for the count. The lovely Caroline occupied as well and I know your brother didn't make it much past the cabin before I was told by one of my vampires that her young brother brought him back there before racing away. So I'm betting she isn't far from the cabin either if she was all the way out here before and all alone with young Jeremy I'm guessing.
Damon snarled and cursed him again, fighting harder against the stake in his gut still.
"SO, game on Damon. Lets see who gets to her first. Maybe I'll give the cure free and clear to you if you beat me. Game on." And with that he blurred away.
Damon lay panting, feeling his blood still so sticky on him as he fought to lift his arms that were so weak, feeling the poison seeping into his every pore. He growled and grunted, screaming in pain as he fought with his hands to pull his body forward and off the wood buried in his stomach. He strained to lift his body up off the ground and pulled his near dead weight as hard as he could.
"Arrghh, damn you, you piece of shit!" he snarled at the sharp wood and pulled himself harder, feel his skin just tearing where it had already healed around the wood. "I'm not...going to...lose my...family!" he gasped out as he finally felt nothing trapping him and he collapsed to the ground.
His eyes focused on the vial laying against the tree just a few feet away. "Ahhh," he cried out getting his legs to cooperate with him, feeling more blood gushing from his wound on his stomach as he crawled forward.
"Elena, I'm coming," he gasped out as he gripped the vial in his hand before he felt his eyes too heavy. "I'm coming..." And then there was nothing by blackness.
Stefan felt something soft or rather someone hit him as he was laying on the floor just past the doorway. He had heard the growling and snarling and then nothing but silence. He forced his eyes open, turning his weak body to see her laying motionless on the floor beside him. He crawled closer pulling himself up, and leaning his head on her chest. Oh thank god she was still breathing.
He laid his head down beside her. "Elena, hey. Elena you have to wake up." Stefan shook her gently. He still felt so weak but he pushed past it to help her. He would always put her first.
She moved her head, "Damon?" she moaned, her eyes still closed.
Stefan inched closer to her head, his hands running over her arms and torso checking for anything broken. She seemed to be okay. "No, Elena, its Stefan. Are you alright? Can you sit up for me?"
Elena nodded slowly at him her eyes half lidded. "Where's Damon?" she whimpered pull herself up.
Stefan held her, letting her lean on him. "I don't know." But then his voice took on a more surprised tone. "You mean you found him? What happened to you? I can't believe you are okay," he gasped out. "When I told you to run. My god Elena I was so scared. I felt like I failed you."
"Yes I found him," she mumbled into his chest, feeling her body slowly cooperate with her moving her limbs. "I was just running and running and I have no idea how but I found him Stefan. Klaus had not gotten to him. He was okay. He was alive." She closed her eyes just leaning back on him remembering how scared she was calling out to him as Jeremy took her away.
"Jeremy! Where is he? He brought me here. Is he here?"
Stefan shook his head weakly again. "No, I didn't see him. Just you." Then he heard growling outside and suddenly a vampire just appeared in the doorway. Its mouth and body covered in blood and he slammed once and twice into the invisible doorway.
Stefan held Elena tighter in his arms his eyes wide at the creature that looked like a ripper in front of them!
"Human!" the vampire growled out at them motioning to Elena. "Human blood." He was literally salivating for her it looked like. If this was a vampire Klaus turned to help him find Elena, he sure missed the mark with this nutcase. He seemed to be focused on nothing but her blood and looked like he had been feeding out there a lot already.
"Stefan?" Elena cried out. She still did not know where Jeremy was but was scared to go to the window even to look. He nodded at her reassuring her that he was right there. She nodded back before she pulled out of his arms, leaned against the wall just barely peeking out the window in the living room while the vampire was still slamming himself into the door. Where was her brother?
Elena's eyes went wider as she focused them further outside. "Stefan! Jeremy is out there. He looks unconscious or something and has blood on him!" She turned back to the blonde Salvatore, seeing him holding his stomach in pain. "We need to get him in here," she cried out worried about her brother.
She was trying to focus on things here because if she didn't she knew she would drive herself mad worrying about Damon and wanting to just run through the door. To hell that there was a rabid vampire outside. She needed him.
But then she felt the pull to stay, and protect her children, their children and heard Damon's soft sweet voice in her ear telling her to put them first above anyone or anything else. She rubbed her hand over her belly and her heart just longed so much for him.
Damon, she cried in her head falling down into the chair nearby. Tell me you are okay? Please honey. I need to know that you are coming back to me! She sniffled back tears and just cradled their babies.
Stefan pulled himself up to standing and dragged himself over to the window. He had been so weak after using so much of his strength to fight the vampires outside and once Jeremy had dragged him back to the cabin he just collapsed in exhaustion till he felt her beside him.
Jeremy had saved his life. He could not just leave him there when this crazy vampire was foaming at the mouth for any more blood to suck down.
He saw Elena just sink to the chair beside the window, her hand caressing her belly underneath his brother's leather jacket that she had unzipped partially. She was curled up in a ball, her face so empty and sad and he knew she was thinking about Damon. As much as it hurt him to see her love him he knew their love was so strong and he wished with all his heart that he could bring him back to her.
He moved closer to her and knelt at her feet. "Lena, I'm so sorry. But I know he will find a way back to you." He stroked her leg trying to sooth her. "I know my brother and I have never seen him so in love. He will fight like hell to get back to you and his family."
Elena unzipped Damon's jacket all the way and nodded, sniffling. "I know Stefan. I have to believe that or I will go crazy here. She pulled Stefan's hand to her belly. "Can you feel them? Are they okay?"
Stefan inhaled sharply as Elena gently led his hand under her shirt to feel her bare stomach. He shut his eyes a moment and concentrated and sure enough there were rhythmic thump thumps that were so faint, but he could hear them.
He lifted his head to her eyes. Eyes that looked so pained and full of worry. "Yes Elena, they are fine. Damon's babies are doing great. I can hear strong little heartbeats." He felt better saying his brother's name whenever he could to remind him that no matter his residual feelings for her, she belonged with Damon. He needed to voice that to himself.
Stefan smiled sadly at her, knowing all she was thinking about was Damon, and felt his stomach clench physically as well as emotionally missing her, but so happy her brother and her had each other. Resting had probably helped prolong the strength of Elijah's blood in him but he could feel it was fading more again as he felt his throat tearing with pain when he swallowed again.
He stood up and made his way into the bedroom and he could hear Elena following him. He knew that he needed to be the hero now for Damon's little family. He owed him that for everything he had done to protect her in the tomb at the very least. He grabbed for the cup on the dresser and without another thought he downed it before turning back to her. She was looking at him in incredulity.
"Stefan that was the last of Elijah's blood! I thought you needed it to get us away from here. But we couldn't even get away in Bonnie's car!"
Stefan shut his eyes slowly and leaned his head back on the wall. "I know Elena. I know. But I have to kill that creep before he kills us and if I don't get out of here," he looked at her mournfully. "Well then I just don't. As long as you and the babies can get away."
He stood in front of her and pulled her into his arms. "I will do whatever I can to get you all safe Lena." He kissed her on the forehead as he felt her clinging to his arms. He swallowed a lump in his throat and held her head to his. "I know you are Damon's and you always have been, but I love you Elena. I will always love you."
Elena looked sadly up in his nearly clear green eyes. "I know Stefan. I love you too. I'm just not in love with you anymore." She lifted her head and stroked his cheek. "Thank you for being so understanding about your brother and me."
He smiled back at her. "I know. And I am okay with that, I promise you. I was a selfish idiot that I didn't let you go sooner. You are so good for him Elena. He has never felt anyone really loved him, even me. I can see that you are everything to him." He knew it hurt him to say it but he knew it was true. "Thank you for loving him, really I mean it Elena." He kissed her head once more and then walked away back down the hall to face the rabid vampire.
He had finally stopped slamming his body against the magic barrier but now Stefan heard a clicking sound and he had the worst feeling in his gut. He gasped out loud as he saw what he had dreaded and the damn vampire was flicking on a lighter and grinning at them!
Oh hell no! Stefan sucked in a breath and pulled himself down the hall without another glance to her. He did not need to tell her what he saw. He knew this whole cabin was soaked in gasoline and that creep was just teasing them that he would light them up! He had no idea if he would survive attacking this vampire but he could not let him just burn down the cabin!
Stefan took one more huge deep breath and then ran at him snarling and hissing, tackling the vampire to the ground outside the front door! He could hear her cries for him from inside as he fought the crazed creature and managed to toss the lighter away from him and send it flying.
They wrestled on the ground biting and snarling before the vampire tossed Stefan off him and he slammed into the porch, cracking the wood railing and sending him flying to the ground on the other side of the porch. He watched as the creep jumped up and was looking on the ground for something. He wanted the lighter! Damn it, was he determined to burn down the cabin?!
Stefan was crawling back toward him pulling on his leg to keep him from getting to it, only to be kicked in the face by his boot. He fell back, the blow jarring his head. Then he heard the click of the flame racing to life and as he turned seeing the vampires wicked grin at him. He screamed as he watched him light a piece of wood and the toss it onto the deck!
"NO!" Stefan yelled out, seeing Elena through the window as the flames rushed to life on the porch. No, no no! he thought as he watched the vampire smirk at him "Human blood...come out and play," the creature sneered at him like he won and Stefan watched him run around the side of the cabin the lighter still in hand.
"Stefan!" Elena screamed, seeing the flames licking at the wood on the deck and snaking toward the house. She couldn't see him or the crazy vampire, she head whipping back and forth looking all over the yard. She saw the fire race across the front door of the cabin and she jumped back.
Then she heard more growling and snarling in the back by the patio and Elena started backing away from the fire, hardly believing what was happening. "Stefan!" she screamed again terrified and not knowing what to do or where to go.
She whirled around as more crashing and glass shattered at Stefan crashed into the full glass wall at the back of the cabin before the vampire pulled him up and tossed him away again. She could feel the heat of the fire as it spread more as she raced in her mind with what to do. She could not just run out there with the wild uncontrollable vampire there. He would kill her in an instant. She found herself stepping closer to the back door away from the fire but closer to the vampire ravenous for her blood.
Stefan was fighting to rip the bastards heart out, his hand had plunged in the monster's chest once already only to have the vampire throw him back before he could grip his heart. He could hear Elena screaming his name and he knew the fire was spreading fast. Damn it what could he do!
He grunted and fought with all his strength and slammed the salivating monster against another tree and grabbed for a branch but he was held back before he could stab it into him! He heard Elena scream again and turned his head to see the most of the outside of the cabin engulfed in flames! Oh God, Elena, he gasped out under his breath.
He lunged for the vampire's throat and grabbed for it and squeezed as he felt him grab for his own throat. There was more grunts and snarls and he squeezed harder feeling his oxygen cut off.
NO! He fought for breath, desperate to keep fighting and let go of the vampire's neck to frantically try to pull his grip of of his! He cried out as he fell to his knees and felt no more breaths coming into his lungs as the vampire stood over him. Elena I'm sorry, was his last thought as it all slipped away.
Elena let out a shriek of horror as she saw the vampire drop Stefan to the ground in a heap just off the back patio. NO! She whirled back around seeing the flames starting to lick at the curtains in the living room and curl around the door frame!
She spun her head as the vampire stood back up and walked closer to the doorway. "Yummy, human..." he hissed out at her as she stumbled back away from him but then stopped, feeling the heat of the fire at her back.
Then the vampire jerked and she saw a hand forced through his body and then back again, ripping his heart out. Elena cried out in relief. "Damon," she breathed out and then recoiled as ice flooded her veins and she struggled for breath. Her hand flew to her belly, protecting her babies, their babies as her eyes widened!
"Klaus," she whimpered. She saw him motion to her but she did not even hear him over the pounding of the blood in her ears as she spun in circles seeing the fire behind her and the man wanting to take her child in front of her. Oh no, what could she do?!
Damon! she cried out in her head, clutching at the wall, with one hand as her other was over her belly. Damon, help me...
A/N; Cringing. Sorry. Shit storm coming...
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