Chapter One: Original Sin

Elena felt the cool earth sink beneath her feet as she treaded slowly down the long smooth path. She didn't remember exactly how she had gotten into the forest tonight, but she knew she was there for a reason and that she must keep moving. The night air was crisp and the enchanting sounds of the midnight's creatures made her senses hum to life. Step by step, she made her way through the forest. She had never realized how beautiful Mystic Falls was until she saw it tonight. The stars had painted beautiful pictures in the night sky and the gentle breeze seemed to wrap around her body and caress her gently.

"Elena…come to me my love." She heard a voice call in the distance. The beautiful voice that called to her was familiar, but somehow she couldn't quite place its owner. The angelic voice was smooth and flowed over her skin like a summer rain shower. It claimed her senses and filled her with a sudden need to be near it.

"Elena, come on my love…hurry now…we haven't much time." The voice soothed her along. Elena obeyed and quickened her pace. With every step she took she moved just a little faster until she found herself sprinting across the forest. The need within her grew stronger and soon her legs burned in pain and her breath escaped her in ragged pants. She could hear the soft laughter of the voice in the background of her mind and tried to follow in the direction it came from. Then suddenly the night sky went black.

"Hello? Is anybody there?" Elena called into the darkness. A low laughter echoed through the forest and suddenly the faint glow of the moon peaked through the trees and cast a beautiful light onto the darkened forest. Elena looked out into the distance and then she saw him.

"Hello Elena." The man said to her, his voice soothing and eerily calm. Elena gasped and took a few steps backward. She didn't get far before she felt her back hit what felt like hard stone.

"I see you've missed us, Elena." Another voice said from behind her. Elena quickly turned and found herself staring into Stefan's cold black eyes.

"Stefan…" Was all she managed to say as she felt fear take hold of her. The voice from in front of her laughed quietly once again.

"Oh, my little doppelganger…such a mess you have gotten yourself into this time." He said sweetly. Elena stepped forward trying to gather her courage.

"I haven't done anything to you Klaus. All I want is Stefan back. Please, just let him come home." She begged looking into his pale ocean blue eyes. Klaus stepped closer to her.

"And what if he doesn't want to come home Elena? Maybe Stefan is enjoying this new found freedom of his. You have no idea how liberating it can be to fulfill every aching hunger you have can really be." He said with an evil grin.

"Stefan, please listen to me. Come home. We can help you." Elena begged as she looked into his eyes, searching for any emotion still lingering in the darkness. Stefan laughed and moved slightly closer to her. As the light hit him, she noticed his dark blue T-shirt and black jeans were covered in wet patches of deep crimson blood. She looked away and tried to push the fear as deep within her as she could.

"We? By 'we' do you mean, you and my brother?" Stefan asked as he cocked his head to the side. He smiled darkly and then shrugged his shoulders.

"I guess that's only to be expected that Damon is your newfound protector. If you can't have one Salvatore, you might as well have the other right? Or are you just desperately hoping that one day you can have us both? Maybe you could call Katherine, I'm sure she'd have some pointers for you." Stefan finished sarcastically as he glared at her. Elena kept her gaze on the ground.

"Stefan, you don't understand. It isn't like that. Damon is helping me. All we want is for you to come home." She pleaded as she lifted her head. Stefan smiled, but no emotion could be found behind his eyes.

"Well I'm sure that Damon is keeping you warm until I return." He said, stepping forward. Elena felt her stomach tighten and she quickly turned around and found herself face to face with Klaus. She looked into the deep blue of his eyes and felt the fear rise within her. The moonlight shone down from the sky and made his cropped blonde hair seem as if it were spun from pure gold. His skin was perfection and he looked as if he had been sculpted from porcelain. She swallowed and felt herself begin to shake.

"Do I frighten you, Elena?" Klaus asked darkly as he still moved closer to her. Elena felt her heart begin to beat faster in her chest. She wanted to say 'no' and be strong, but she knew that he would see through her lies and tonight all she cared about was getting Stefan back. She swallowed her emotion and simply nodded. Klaus smiled gently and reached out and ran two of his fingers through her silky brown hair.

"If I frighten you, my little doppelganger, then why are you here?" He asked sweetly. Elena wanted to look away, but found herself frozen in place.

"I…I just want Stefan back." She said weakly. Klaus' smile faded slightly, but lingered just at the edges of his lips.

"Elena, why are you really here sweetheart?" He asked and Elena felt her head begin to spin. She breathed in deeply.

"Because you called me." She replied so softly that a human would not have been able to hear. Klaus stared into Elena's eyes and a serious look of question flooded his expression.

"Why do we fascinate you so?" He asked her in a whisper. Elena broke his stare and looked back down to the ground. She heard Stefan's footsteps moving closer behind her.

"What do you mean?" She asked. Klaus lifted Elena's chin slightly and looked into her eyes once again. He ran his fingers across her jawline and down the soft length of her neck. He smiled as he studied her.

"How is it that in a world filled with more than its share of idiotic human boys that would gladly lay themselves at your feet, have you found yourself tangled up with us soulless monsters?" He asked as his fingers continued tracing her features. Elena let out a ragged breath and tried to concentrate.

"I don't care what Stefan is. I…" She started, but words escaped her. What was she supposed to say? Did she say she loved him? Did she still love him? After everything that had happened, was that really why she was still chasing him?

"I know, I know, my love. You love him. He is the other piece to you and completes your weak human soul. But truly Elena, what is it that draws you to us so? I understand that when you met Stefan you did not know what he was, but then Damon? Damon, you knew what he was all along and that only seemed to entice you more. The fact that he was a cold blooded killer never made you run from him, instead you put your life on the line for him time after time and now you barely sleep a night in your own home. You simply lay across the hall from him, night after night, as your beating heart tortures his every breath." He said, his words beginning to push deeper into Elena. It felt as if he was caressing the inside of her without even touching her skin. She couldn't tell if he was compelling her or if he was just honestly curious.

"They didn't have a choice Klaus. Katherine made them what they are. I care about them because of who they are inside, not because of what she made them." She said still looking away from his eyes. She felt Klaus' hands slide up her neck and to her jaw. She slowly closed her eyes as he tilted her head back up so she could look at him. She heard him laugh very quietly and quickly opened her eyes.

"See, that is what I am talking about my sweet Elena. I understand your foolish human need to mend a broken soul, so I understand why you seem to care so much for my troubled Salvatore boys, I really do" He started, still caressing the soft, delicate skin of jaw.

"But what has me very confused, Elena, is how you can stand before me and respond so completely to my touch, when you know deep down that I am responsible for the death of almost everyone you have lost." He said softly. Elena took a deep breath out and tried to shake herself out of the trance she had seemed to have fallen into, but all she could manage was to open her eyes.

"You scare me." She said softly. Klaus looked into her eyes and then slowly moved his head down so that his lips just hovered above the soft skin that protected her erratic pulse.

"Elena, please don't lie to me. I am the oldest vampire in this world. I have seen more life than you could ever imagine. You are silent, yet your body screams to me." His words hit softly against her skin and she felt him swallow hard and run his tongue over his lips.

"You are so filled with desire and unbridled need, I can taste it. Would I even have to compel you, or would you ask me for my touch?" He asked softly against her neck. She could feel the lust in his voice and felt dizzy as her legs began to weaken. She slowly turned and tried to move away from him, but only backed into Stefan's chest.

"Now, now, Klaus, don't you think you are a little too old for her?" A voice called from behind them all. Klaus slowly stepped back from Elena, shook his head, and began to laugh once again.

"Now why does this not surprise me? My my, Elena, what dirty mind you must be harboring in that pretty little head of yours." He said as he turned and watched as Damon approached them. Elena looked around. She didn't understand what was going on, or why her mind caused any of this, but she tried to put some distance between herself and Klaus and Stefan.

"Damon." She called, but she didn't know what to say. Damon walked towards them slowly. He was wearing dark black jeans and his white button down shirt made him look like an angel in the moonlight. His jet black hair was messy against his skin and he looked exhausted and thirsty.

"This is unlike you Klaus…hiding in the shadows like this. Where is the grand entrance we have all been dying for?" Damon asked with a smirk as he moved closer to them. Klaus smiled and then nodded as he looked at Stefan.

Stefan moved suddenly and in an instant, Elena felt the cold grasp of his hands as they wrapped tightly around her arms. Fear rocketed through her body as she tried helplessly to free herself from his hands.

"Let go of me Stefan. You don't have to do this." She said pleading with him. Stefan smiled and leaned down to her ear as he pressed himself against her. His cool breath sent shivers down her spine.

"Oh Elena, come on. Isn't this what you wanted?" He asked, tightening his grip.

"What are you talking about Stefan? I just want you to come home! I just want you back!" She screamed as tears began to well up in her eyes. Damon moved in a blur and was suddenly in front of her. He seemed to watch helplessly as his brother manhandled her, but he didn't move.

"It's going to be alright Elena. I would never let anyone hurt you, remember? I will never leave you." He said softly. Elena felt her heartbeat slow a little and she nodded, but Damon still stood motionless in front of her. He didn't try to pull her from his brother's grasp or bargain with Klaus for her life. He just stood in front of her and ran his hand down her face.

"You are so beautiful Elena." He said softly. Elena looked into the electric blue orbs that shone brightly in his eyes.

"Please Damon help me." She begged. Damon smiled softly but his eyes were filled with pain.

Suddenly, Elena felt her body jolt. Stefan was knocked from behind her and she felt Klaus' cool grip on her skin. She shuddered as he pulled her against his body. He tilted her neck to the side and she felt his lips as they whispered across her skin.

"Someday, Elena, you will find someone that loves you enough to be strong enough not to share you." Klaus' voice was soft, but something about his tone, made Elena turn to look at him. His eyes were gentle, but filled with hunger. She couldn't remember a time where she had ever seen such emotion in him. He looked away from her, and as Elena turned back she noticed they were alone in the forest. She felt Klaus' grip loosen on her slightly, but she didn't try to run. Instead, she leaned back against his body and let his arms slide slowly around her body. He was much warmer than she had expected and his embraced calmed her. Elena felt Klaus' lips touch her skin and felt heat rush through her body. She heard a low moan in his throat as she closed her eyes. Elena let out a deep sigh and welcomed the sweet pain of Klaus' teeth as they slid slowly into her throat.

Elena's eyes flew open as she sat up suddenly in bed. She looked around her and found herself alone, in what used to be Stefan's bedroom. Her breaths were coming out in quick puffs and her body was covered in a thin sheen of sweat. She raked her fingers through her damp hair and tried to regain her composure.

"It was just a dream." She told herself quietly as she let herself fall back onto the comfort of her pillows.

This was not the first time she had dreamt of Klaus and Stefan since the night that they had disappeared. Klaus and Stefan had vanished nearly a month ago and there wasn't a night that went by when her mind hadn't been haunted by their terrifying memory. Lately, however, Klaus had taken over the reins in her mind and every night her fear for him lessened more and more. She tried not to think too much about the dreams, but just chalked them up to the post-traumatic stress of losing someone that she had loved so deeply. She closed her eyes and tried to focus. She needed to get herself together so she could try to start living the life she had more recently put on hold. She took a deep breath and reached up to the place where she had felt the scrape of Klaus' teeth just moments before…nothing.

Elena quickly sat up. She ran her hands over the skin of her neck and chest…nothing. Her breathing got shorter and shallower as she looked around her and felt beneath her covers…nothing. She closed her eyes and felt fear wash over her…her necklace was gone.

Please read and review, thanks in advance! -Nikki XOXOXO