CHAPTER 9

Disclaimer: The Vampire Diaries does not belong to me.

A/N I was not sure if I wanted to do an epilogue to the story, but since I've been asked if there will be one, and since the story ended rather abruptly, here it is. Warning: mention of rape.

"Does Klaus Care?"

It was a bit later, after talking to Liz, that the brothers had a rather early drink of bourbon. Stefan reached for his cell phone and said, "I'm going to have to let Klaus know that this third witch is dead. I know it worried him."

"How nice that he worries about you," Damon said with a snort. "Or is it that he hates having someone mess with his property?" Much as he hated to admit it to himself, he didn't like that in some ways Klaus was closer to his brother than he was. Not that he wanted to have a sexual relationship with Stefan. He didn't. But he didn't like it at all that Klaus had one and that Stefan went along with it. Sure, Stefan claimed he hated it, but Damon wasn't so sure.

Stefan sent a text message to Klaus informing him that the witch was dead. He didn't give any more information, so he wasn't surprised when a return text ordered him to go over to the mansion that was being renovated.

"I gotta go talk to him," Stefan muttered.

"The master summons. Well, have fun," Damon said with sarcastic cheer. The situation made Damon angry. And although it was unfair, he sometimes took out his disgust on Stefan with snarky remarks. He suspected that once in Klaus' house, Stefan would find himself in the man's clutches, literally.

Stefan guessed the same thing and he wasn't happy about that. Unless Klaus phoned him instructing him to go to the house, Stefan had been staying away. If he had thought Klaus was too busy to want him, the last visit had told him differently. After being with Stefan briefly following the seizure Stefan had had in front of Mrs. Flowers, Klaus had quietly come into the Salvatore house one night and into Stefan's room. He had stayed about a half hour. Since then, they hadn't seen each other.

Stefan drove over to the construction/renovation site. Even on Sunday there were various trucks belonging to workmen parked here and there.

"You must see the progress that has been made," Klaus said with enthusiasm as he stood in the open front door. Stefan noticed four hybrids sitting in rocking chairs on the front porch. They were watching a football game on a wide-screen television right there on the porch. An electric cord and a cable came out a window to the TV.

Inside the house, evidence of work was everywhere. Klaus took him into a smallish room that was obviously being used as an office. A couple of computers, printers and various blueprints were in evidence. Klaus dismissed a man from one of the computers, and when they were alone, he listened to Stefan's story of the "possum attack," the witch's demise in a traffic accident, and the sheriff's report.

"So she was the wife of the man I killed in Chicago," Klaus said, nodding. "Revenge can be an on-going thing. A vendetta."

"Well, I hope her death is the end of it," Stefan said. "It's not like Damon or I actually killed her."

"Let's hope you're right, love," Klaus said. "Come on. I'll show you around. You'll be surprised at the changes since you were last here."

Since Stefan had not really toured the place, Klaus now took him here and there, proudly pointing out what had been done or was going to be done. The place was large, even to having a modest ballroom. Klaus was adding a bit of the European touch.

"When the work is done, I shall have a housewarming gala. Invite all the locals who are anybody," Klaus grinned. "I want to be a real part of Mystic Falls' society."

Stefan wasn't sure Mystic Falls was ready for Klaus.

"Where the hell are you getting the money for this?" Stefan asked. He well remembered that he and Klaus had stolen drug money from dealers, a lot of it, but they had spent some in Chicago and buying the house would have used more than what they had stolen. Stefan suspected Klaus had compelled someone for a bank loan.

"Oh, you know me. I'm resourceful," Klaus grinned, his arm over Stefan's shoulders. He then took Stefan to the second story where he showed off bedrooms and baths. Several of the bedrooms were finished and they were being used by the new hybrids.

"These guys are just hanging around? What happened to their wives and families and their jobs?" Stefan asked. He wondered how the men could stand doing nothing most of the time. He knew one of them was a lawyer and another was a stock broker.

"I'm paying them a wage to send back to their families. They are otherwise 'sired' by me and therefore bound to be here. Tyler Lockwood goes to school and lives at home, but he is nearby, so it's the same."

"In the long run, what are they here for?" Stefan asked. Klaus had never said why he wanted the hybrids except to have a faithful following of fellow hybrids and to be respected and feared by those who knew. Klaus' little private army.

"Time will tell. Here, let me show you my bedroom. It's finished," Klaus said, opening a door.

Stefan was impressed with the suite consisting of bedroom, sitting room, large bath and plenty of closet space. It was beautifully furnished, but masculine. He looked out the French doors that opened to a small balcony facing the back yard, made neat by a landscaping company.

He wasn't surprised when Klaus closed the door to the hall and locked it. He knew what Klaus had in mind when the hybrid placed his hands on his shoulders and turned him to face him.

"I've missed having you close. We spent months together and now I rarely see you. I have to sneak into your bedroom. Are you avoiding me?" Klaus asked in an intimate voice, his blue eyes alive with the pleasure of having Stefan in front of him.

"No. I've been going to school to keep an eye on Elena like you asked me to. And you have been very busy supervising this huge project. You came to my room the other night and as I recall, we made it together."

"We did. And that's not enough, love," Klaus murmured, looking into Stefan's dark green eyes.

Klaus put his hands on Stefan's face and pulled him into a kiss. Not wanting to anger Klaus, Stefan went along with it. He could tell the Original was getting aroused. No surprise there. He couldn't be disgusted with Klaus when he himself was becoming aroused out of habit. The man actually knew how to please Stefan greatly and therefore could demand the same in return.

Still, when Klaus ended the kiss, Stefan said, "Come on, Klaus. Why me? You've got plenty of others to play with. How about Tyler? Any interest in him?" Stefan felt really ashamed for suggesting such treatment of the teenager, whom he knew was smitten with Caroline.

"Nice-looking boy. I decided to try him out. He refused to cooperate. And you know how I am with people who refuse me," Klaus said with a smirk as he started to unbuttoned Stefan's shirt.

"What? Dammit, Klaus! You raped him? You're a real bastard, you know," Stefan growled, feeling outraged on Tyler's behalf. Months ago, in his early days with the hybrid, Stefan and Klaus had had a disagreement in bed and Klaus had raped him, making sure he was hurt. Stefan had not forgotten, and the anger he harbored was one of the reasons he wanted to be free of him. He usually hid these feeling from Klaus, though. To show it was to invite more trouble.

"Oh, I do know that. I tried it again with him. I was such a patient gentleman. I was. Really. But, damn if I didn't really hurt him again. He's not like you, love."

"He's a kid, Klaus!"

"So are you."

"No. I just look like a kid. I've had a lot of experiences."

"Yes, you have. What say we not discuss anyone else. Shall we disrobe then?" Klaus murmured, slowly continuing to undo buttons.

"Why'd I know you were going to say that?" Stefan said in a slightly joking tone. He was used to the way Klaus worded things. And, in truth, he was willing to cooperate. He set to work on Klaus' shirt buttons. It was taking the easy way out. Besides, with Klaus, he did as he was told. When both he and Klaus were naked, he found himself waiting for instructions. I am such a whore! he thought with a touch of disgust. I should get paid for this!

When Stefan drove home he was as conflicted as ever about his relationship with Klaus. He had wanted to ask the man again when he was going to release him from his servitude, but he somehow hadn't. He knew Klaus really liked having him on a leash, so to speak.

Once in the house, he headed for the study and poured himself a drink. He stood deep in thought, staring out a window, when he became aware that Damon had entered the room. Damon came to the stand close behind him and Stefan heard him sniff his head and neck. That was annoying. An invasion of his privacy and personal space.

"Took a shower, did you? But you didn't wash your hair. Hm. Klaus had his fingers in your hair. And on your body. And something in your body, I bet."

"Shut up, Damon!" Stefan snapped. He wasn't in the mood for Damon's verbal bullying.

"Fine. Just making observations. When are you going to make this man stop using you? Or is he that fun to be with?" Damon rolled his eyes and his tone was mocking.

Stefan wheeled around and threw a punch at Damon. His brother managed to duck most of the blow, but it did graze his ear. Since it was Stefan's right hand, the ring cut the edge of the ear lobe, which started to bleed. Damon danced back out of range, grinning at Stefan's anger. Damon was always alert to punches from Stefan's right.

"Oooh, that feels so good, Klaus!" Damon gasped in a sing-song voice. He was in a mood.

Stefan moved in a blur and crashed into his brother, punching him in the belly, knocking him down. They punched each other as they rolled around on the floor, with Stefan taking out some of his anger at Klaus on Damon, until Damon spent most of his effort deflecting or avoiding the worst of Stefan's blows. But when Stefan caught him a hard blow with a knee to the groin, Damon really lost his temper and managed to slam a blow to Stefan's head that stunned him.

Climbing out from under this brother, Damon stood up, supporting his painful private parts for a minute. He looked down at Stefan. Although he was angry with him, he also felt sorry for him. He was sure Stefan didn't want to be intimate with Klaus, but circumstances made it necessary. He knew he shouldn't make fun of the situation. He wouldn't have liked it if it was Stefan making fun of him for the same thing.

And it could have been. Damon had more than once found himself very briefly in a similar situation, where he had had to comply or suffer something worse.

Stefan became aware with a start, jumping up and assuming a defensive position. Then he noticed that Damon was standing over by the couch sipping his drink and watching him. Truce. Slowly he straightened up and then moved to the bar and poured himself a second drink. He had dropped his first one.

"Did you see anything interesting over there, other than Klaus's body?" Damon asked in an even tone. He had sore body parts but he didn't show it. Of course, like Stefan, he had healed cuts and scrapes which left behind drying area's of blood. They both had some bruises that would soon disappear.

"He gave me a tour of the house," Stefan said, deciding to be civil for the moment. He knew he had delivered at least one really painful blow. Served Damon right. "Including his bedroom, of course. The other hybrids were there. Not in the bedroom."

"How many?"

"I'm not sure. Maybe eight or ten. Tyler wasn't there."

"So, there are at least ten or eleven."

Stefan looked at his brother and felt the urge to tell more. He wasn't sure if he should speak up or keep it to himself, but he felt bad about Tyler.

"Klaus told me he raped Tyler," he said.

Damon raised his eyebrows and then frowned. "That is so not nice. Bad Klaus. So, is Tyler going to take your place?" Damon's tone was a bit snarky. He didn't care about the Lockwood hybrid who had bitten him and put him through hell.

"I don't think so. It didn't go very well after the assault, according to Klaus. So, I'm still the lucky object of Klaus' affection."

"Tell me the truth. If a real opportunity arose, would you get free of the bastard?"

"Hell, yes! Absolutely!" Stefan said. "Might an opportunity arise?" He looked closely at his brother. Did he know something? Was he hinting at something?

"Possibly," Damon said, knowing the vampire-killing vampire Mikael was in town. He didn't explain this to Stefan, though.

"What? How?" Stefan asked, eagerness in his tone.

"I'm not going to tell you yet. I'm not convinced you wouldn't run right back to Klaus with the information."

"I know you don't trust me, Damon. But believe me, I truly want to be free of him!" Stefan said with emphasis. "I mean it!"

And the time came when Damon did tell Stefan that Mikael was in town and that he could kill Klaus. For the first time in a long time, Stefan felt he would soon be free. The day would finally come!

A/N As we all know, Mikael and Damon failed to kill Klaus, because Stefan interfered.

As a reward, Klaus finally freed Stefan. Freed him to seek revenge.