Chapter 10: Stop.
Chapter Text
Stefan walked into the boarding house after cleaning up Elena and Damons tracks throughout town and was greeted by the potent scent of blood, AGAIN.
"Damnit Damon! Where are you!?" he screamed as he briskly walked into the house, slamming the front door behind him. He started towards the stairs and was aggressively yanked back and thrown into the wall.
"Stefan, oh goodie. I love it when you're home." Elena chuckled as she ran her hands up his hard torso.
"Elena, what did I tell you about bothering my poor little brother?" Damon came sauntering into the room butt naked, blood dripping down his chin onto his bare chest. He stopped a few inches away from Elena and pulled her off Stefan with a smirk plastered to his face.
Elena rolled her eyes and pouted out her bottom lip, "I was just joking, he knows that. Right, Stefan?"
Stefan growled deep in his chest as he straightened out his jacket and pushed them out of the way so he could continue up the stairs, "If you guys are going to keep doing this, at least clean up your mess please. I, I can't, um, I," He stopped mid-sentence and froze when a naked busty brunette appeared in front of him, holding her hand up to her bleeding neck.
"Please, help me." She whispered as she cautiously walked over to him. He quickly pressed his eyes shut and held his breath, trying his best to control the monster inside. His nostrils flared as her scent surrounded him and he couldn't prevent the veins from traveling down his cheeks.
"Oh God! You're one of them!" She screamed and turned around to run but didn't get far when he vamped in front of her and slammed her down into the stairs. "Please!" she pleaded breathlessly through her tears.
"Shut up! I- I can't, fuck!" He shook her body to try and calm her down, but it just made her struggle more. His fangs were now fully descended, and his eyes were dark as the midnight sky. He growled again as he leaned down to breathe in her scent. "You smell so good, just a taste."
"Uhh uhh, I don't think so. Can't be cleaning up a ripper binge right now. Leave Katie alone." Damon tsked as he suddenly appeared next to them on the stairs. He grabbed Stefans shoulders and pulled him back as Elena scooped Katie up from the ground and took off into the house.
"Fuck, Damon! This is why I need you to stop doing this here! I, I could have killed her!" Stefan panicked as he raked his fingers through his hair.
Damon shrugged his shoulders and dusted off Stefans shirt before spinning on his heel and following behind Elena, "Not my concern Stef. And if it makes you feel any better, she's dying regardless." He said nonchalantly before disappearing into the night.
Stefan let out a shaky deep breath and leaned onto the handrail for the stairs, "I can't keep doing this." He mumbled as he bolted for his room.
A few hours later Damon was in the living room cleaning up the mess from Katie as Elena got herself ready to leave, "I'll see you later, Damon. Thanks for the snack." She giggled as she threw her jacket over her arms and grabbed her schoolbooks. She got exactly what she was looking for when she came here and now all she wanted to do was go home and take a nice hot bath while her body was still humming from all the blood.
"Next time maybe you'll help clean up the mess!" He yelled out as she ran outside, closing the front door behind her. "Kids." He tsked as he rolled Katies body up in a sheet so he could drag her outside.
Stefan was still sitting up in his room. He had pulled out about a quarter of his hair trying his best to control his animalistic urges while he was forced to listen in on them torturing Katie. Once he was sure he heard Elenas car pull away from the house, he walked out onto his balcony and jumped down into the driveway. He was going to get his Elena back one way or another, and tonight, he was going to do whatever he had to do. Hopefully once I can get Elena to turn it back on, Damon will follow suit. If not, then we'll have to do it the hard way.
Elena had one more stop to make before she headed home, and she was more than happy when she arrived at her destination and realized he was already there. She parked her car a little bit down the block so that she wouldn't be seen right away and then slowly made her way over to her favorite teachers hangout spot, The Grill. A little bell rang on the door as she walked in, turning a few heads in her direction. She smiled politely at a handful of strangers that she passed by, her heels clicking on the hard wood floor as she sauntered over to the bar. As soon as he heard the sound of heels approaching him, all the hairs on the back of his neck stood to attention. He swallowed the lump that was growing in his throat and slowly spun around on his chair, instantly making direct eye contact with her, "Shit." He murmured under his breath before throwing back one of his many shots of bourbon, too many, he didn't even remember how many he had at this point.
"Hey, Ric. You look like you've seen a ghost, everything alright?" She teased with a seductive grin pulling at the corner of her lips.
His heart felt like it was beating in his throat as he broke out in a thin layer of sweat, "Uhm, mhm, hey uh, Elena. What's going on?" He kicked himself internally for babbling like an idiot every time he was around her, what is it with this damn girl?
Elena twirled a piece of her hair around her finger as she invaded his personal space, leaning into him so that her breath tickled his ear, "Why are you scared of me? You know I'd never hurt you."
His eyes fluttered shut as her words caressed his skin and he couldn't stop the desperate breathy moan that escaped his lips as her fingers lightly ran up and down his arm, her nails slightly digging into him. "Elena. Not here." He whispered reluctantly as he slowly pulled himself away from her so he could look into her eyes.
Elena giggled and gently shook her head while pouting out her bottom lip, "Of course not Ric. I remember what you told me earlier, I know this can't happen between us. I just came here for a drink." She purred as she sat down on the stool next to him.
Her scent floated into his nose as she flipped her hair over her shoulder, and it instantly brought his cock to life. "Fuck, Elena. Why do you do this to me?"
"Do what, Ric?" She teased with a dangerously flirty look in her eyes.
Ric groaned as he aggressively stood up, knocking the barstool over, and grabbed her arm, ripping her off hers. "You wanna play? Let's play." He growled as he dragged her out towards the back alley of the bar. Elena loved it when he got angry, loved it when he hated her, because that's when he gave her everything she needed. "Come here and flaunt around when you know people are watching. Fuck, Elena. What is wrong with you?" He slammed her against the brick wall once they got out into the darkest corner of the ally, making her slightly wince from the rough contact. "You'll get me fucking fired. But you don't seem to give a shit about anything or anyone but yourself. God, no wonder you lost everyone in your pathetic life. You selfish bitch."
"Fuck you." Elena growled and slapped him hard across the face, fire burning in her eyes.
He grabbed her wrists and pinned them above her head while he pressed his hard body against hers. "Did I upset you, Elena? No. Of course not. Because you don't care about a god damn thing!"
"Stop, or you will regret it." She warned with a snarl. Her fangs now set in place and her eyes were darker than the night sky.
"Go ahead, Elena. Kill me. I'm the only person that can stand being around you and it makes you sick, doesn't it?" His voice was cold and venomous as he spoke, his fingernails were digging into the skin of her wrists as he held onto her, his cock throbbing against his jeans which he would further assess later. "Do it, Elena!" He screamed as he lightly shook her. Elena growled deep in her chest and lunged forward, knocking Ric to the ground as she savagely bit down into his neck. "Fuck!" Her legs were now straddling his waist as she started to grind into him, moaning into his skin when she felt how hard he already was.
"Elena, stop!" Stefan jumped down from the roof above them and ripped Elena off Alaric, tossing her across the alley.
"Stefan?" Ric sat up and grabbed his neck to slow the bleeding. Stefan glanced over at him and nodded his head before vamping over to Elena.
"Come on. Let's go." He knelt down by her side and quickly injected her with vervain before scooping her up off the ground and carrying her bridal style out of the darkness, "Let's get you cleaned up."
"Wh-where are you taking her? What did you do to her? Stefan. I know this sounds crazy, but she wasn't hurting me. I-I kind of-"
"I know, Ric. I was watching the whole time. But she can't keep acting this way. And you're not helping by letting her attack you that way. She needs to turn her humanity back on. I need her back." He whispered the last few words as he gently brushed the hair from her face. "I need my brother back, too."
Alaric stood up and dusted off his clothes, "I um. I'm sorry. I didn't know. I just thought-"
"It's fine. I have to go. Please just, when you see her again, don't give in. She needs to learn how to control her urges."
Alaric cleared his throat and nervously rubbed the back of his neck as he nodded his head, "Alright. Let me know if I can help in any way. I, I do care about her." Stefan forced a tiny smile before disappearing into the night, leaving Alaric dazed and confused in the ally. "God damn it." He mumbled under his breath as he slowly walked back inside the bar. As soon as he stepped inside, he collided with a tall slender woman with jet black hair, "I-Im sorry." He stuttered but as the woman turned around to face him he almost fainted, "Isobel?"
"Hello Ric." She purred with a seductive glint in her eyes. "Looks like you had a nasty fall. Let me help you with that." She smiled as she bit down into her wrist and offered it to him.
His eyes widened as he looked down at her quickly healing wrist and he shook his head, "N-no. I'm good. What. I mean where have you been? I've been looking everywhere for you."
Isobel chuckled as she flipped her hair over her shoulder and closed the tiny distance between them, pushing Ric up against the wall, "I wish you wouldn't. I wasn't lost, Ric. I need you to send a message for me. To my daughter."
Alaric scoffed and raked his fingers through his messy hair as he pressed his eyes tightly shut and grit his teeth, "Daughter? You have a daughter now?"
She laughed whole heartedly and pulled a picture out from her wallet, "Open your eyes." Ric reluctantly obeyed and pried his eyes open.
"Elena?" He whispered breathlessly. His body instantly broke out in a thin layer of sweat as he stared at the picture in her hand.
"Mhm, seems like you know her quite well. I need to meet with her. Tomorrow. Here. Alone. Understand?" She demanded as veins started to surface on her pale cheeks. Ric nodded his head and swallowed deeply. He didn't know how he was supposed to make that happen, especially now that Stefan was on his mission to save her. But he knew that Isobel wasn't asking.
"Just tell me one thing." He whispered nervously.
Isobel shrugged her shoulders as she put the photo back into her wallet, "Yes?"
"Why? Why did you just disappear?" His eyes were filling with tears as he desperately searched her eyes for any hint of love, but there was none.
She smiled as she ran her fingers up his chest and leaned in so that her breath was tickling his lips, "I'll see you around my love. Don't forget to tell Elena. And make sure the Salvatore boys stay home." And before Ric could respond, she was gone, again.
Alaric slid down the wall and tucked his knees into his chest, tears were blurring his vison as he tried his best to keep them from falling. "She's, her daughter. I wonder if she knows she's adopted." He silently sobbed into his knees.
" ? Is everything alright?" Carolines bubbly voice floated into his ears.
He quickly wiped the tears from his eyes before looking up at her with a phony smile, "Caroline, hey. Yeah, just uh, a little drunk that's all. Promise not to say anything?" He chuckled as he pushed himself up off the ground.
Caroline happily nodded her head with a smile from ear to ear, "Of course. My lips are sealed." She promised while gesturing a zipper with a lock across her lips.
Alaric let out a deep breath as soon as Caroline walked away, "Thank God." He whispered as he tossed a 20-dollar bill down on the bar and walked outside to his car. He couldn't wait to just get home and crawl into bed. He wished he could call Jenna and tell her everything that was going on, if only his life could be that simple. He groaned as he started up his car and quickly drove off, hoping that no one saw anything that just transpired tonight.
Stefan was just getting back to the boarding house with Elena safely in his arms when his phone rang, startling him from his thoughts. He gently placed Elena down in the cellar and shut the door, locking her inside, before answering.
"Hello?"
"Stefan, hey, its uh, Ric. Listen, we need to talk about something really important. It's about Elena." Alaric pinched the bridge of his nose as he spoke, his voice was low and shaky.
Stefan took one last glance at Elena in her peaceful sleeping state before walking upstairs, "What about her? She's safe, with me." He growled at the thought of something happening to her making Alaric second guess his whole reason for calling.
"Her um, can you just come here so I can explain? I had an awful night I don't feel like driving."
Stefan took a deep breath to calm his anger and grabbed his keys, "Be there in a minute."
And then the line went dead.
Alaric shoved his phone deep into his pocket and threw himself down onto the couch, "God how did my life turn into this?"
Stefan didn't even bother taking his car, he figured it would just slow him down. Plus, he wanted Damon to think he was home. So, he went on foot. Running as fast as he could through the woods, swerving in and out of trees. He arrived at Rics in under 10 minutes. He knocked on his door and scared the shit out of him, "Stefan, that was-"
"What's going on, Ric? I don't have a lot of time. I can't leave her alone when she wakes up." Stefan went to walk in and was bounced back by the invisible barrier.
"Come in, Stefan." Ric mumbled as he stepped aside, extending his arm out as an invitation.
Stefan hesitated before walking inside, his hands pressed down in his pockets. "Thanks, now what's up?"
Alaric nervously paced back and forth as he mustered up the courage to speak, "She's adopted. And well, her real mom is my dead ex-wife. Except she's apparently not dead, she's a vampire, and she's looking for Elena. She threatened me to send her a message, said she has to meet her at the grill tomorrow, alone."
Stefan scoffed as soon as the words tomorrow and alone left Rics lips, "Well that's not happening, for a number of reasons."
"She's not really giving an option B, Stefan. She was heartless, cruel. No sign of humanity in her. She will hurt people if we don't comply. And I won't allow that to happen."
Stefan laughed sarcastically as he slowly walked towards Alaric, like he was his prey. Veins started to creep down his cheeks and his eyes turned dark red, "Elena will not be going there tomorrow, Ric. I don't care if she threatened to kill our whole graduating class, we will have to figure something else out. Elena is my only concern." And with that Stefan was gone.
Alaric growled and knocked over the table next to his couch, sending the lamp crashing onto the ground, shattering to pieces. "Fuck!"
Stefan raced back to the boarding house, hoping that Elena was still asleep, and that Damon didn't let her lose. He ran even faster than he had earlier, tears were running from his eyes down his cheeks as the chilly night air whipped against him. When he finally arrived home, he noticed Damons car was missing and instantly his heart dropped into his stomach. He ran into the house with panic running through his veins, "Elena. Please be here."
"Ah Stefan, what a pleasant surprise." A familiar male voice came from across the room, stopping Stefan dead in his tracks.
He slowly turned towards the voice, every hair on his body was standing straight up, "Klaus."
