Chapter 1: Find Me

by: Eclipsewonderland

Inspired by: LJ Smith

Edited by: Eclipsedwonderland

I stared through the eyes of the pitiful human girl before me. She was simple, exactly like Katerina save for the slightly plumper cheeks. She was surprised, but fairly determined and for a brief moment, I understood what had drawn Stefan to her. She wasn't weak, timid, or scared. She was bold, beautiful, and fearless... Still human, though. Elena seemed different from the Elena I had killed. My throat burned lightly at the thought of her sweet nectar-like blood.

"We've got to stop meeting like this." I smirked, holding her lightly. I knew I wouldn't even leave bruises on her arms, but she knew better than to struggle. This only made my smirk widen as I bathed in the power I had over her, "Like Daisy over Gatsby," I thought with some amusement. Once her fear settled, however, I noticed something else quite peculiar. She wasn't afraid... At all. No fear what so ever, just silent determination as if she had expected me to find her. It made sense; she wouldn't be able to hide from me forever.

"You won't break him." She said to me slowly, menacingly. I flinched internally, but merely smirked and leaned forward. She didn't frighten me, but damn she was pushing a very sensitive button at the wrong time. I don't like my buttons pushed.

"You see, love," I slowly said, pulling her close and feeling the chills of silent fear travel down her spine. Finally, it was back., "I already have."

With that, I swooped her up roughly and sped off towards where Stefan was banging about like an idiot. I placed her down rather gently, something told me it wouldn't be wise to break her. But, in order to be a bit more convincing, grabbed her roughly before entering the room. And that's when I saw him, the very idiot that was, frankly, getting on my last bloody nerve. Although I had never trusted him, and knew he was hiding Elena, I had given him every chance in the world to come clean and tell me. To see if he deserved my trust. Obviously, that was not the case. I mean come on he could have easily told me while she "hid" in the closet of his old apartment. Well I was done waiting for him, he would follow whether he bloody well liked it or not.

I flinched slightly as he drove the stake into his stomach, but quickly smirked masking my... What? Concern? Who knows. I stomped over, my voice swifter and revealing more than I wanted it to about my emotional state.

"Now this is fascinating, I've never seen this before. The only thing stronger then your craving for blood is the love for this one girl." I spat out, jealousy tainting my words. As Stefan's eyes rested on mine I forced every bone in my body to stay still so I wouldn't rush and help him. Although, come to think of it, I rather liked the image of him withing in pain with a stake in his gut.

Slowly, I waltzed over to him nearly laughing at his pitiful eyes. It was just so different from the Stefan I knew, the Stefan that was still in there... Somewhere. This pathetic Stefan was of no interest to me nor my cause, he'd have to loose it. And soon.

"Why don't you turn it off?" I asked, nonchalantly, but a small twinge of irritation hid behind my voice. Anger bubbled right beneath my skin, my cool facade slowly sliding off in shingles. Anger towards him for being so dishonest, anger at myself for thinking he would be loyal to me, irritation at Rebecca for being so irksome, jealousy towards Elena for her being the only thing standing between me and Stefan and my Hybrids, for that matter. Yet, above all, was that age old rage at the loneliness my adversary sides had caused. I was alone and I felt it acutely in those critical moments. Vampire and Warewolf, one of a kind.

There was no switch, had there been I would have flipped it off long ago. Once, I believed there was, but after thousands of years of killing with no remorse, eventually you begin to feel something. Be it loneliness, love, self-hatred or remorse, something happens eventually. And once it happens, there is no turning back. There is no way to turn the "switch" back on once you realize it isn't really there. I knew that, but there was no way in Hell I was going to tell Stefan. Stefan was a Ripper and would always be my Ripper, my companion, my friend, and my brother. My way to quench the loneliness in my undying heart. Besides, as long as he believed it, it didn't really matter whether it was real or not; it would still work.

A sharp "no" was his reply as he snapped me out of my thoughts. Honestly, it had only been a few seconds, but with a mind thousands of years old, I tended to think a bit quicker on my feet than most. I felt the anger bubble closer to the surface and sat easily on a table in an attempt to quench it.

"Come on, your humanity is killing you." I said, my voice rising slightly, "The guilt must be exhausting." I paused briefly, "Turn it off."

"No!" He growled out again, his true nature bubbling to the surface. It wouldn't take much more, that I knew. My body began to ease a fraction, muscle by muscle at this secure fact... Or, well, I convinced myself it was a secure fact because the alternative was... Well, I didn't really know what the alternative was.

Then the doppelganger whispered his name. Her voice was nothing like Katerina's, but I wanted to strangle it out of her all the same. Before she could say anything more, I stepped in front of her, blocking his line of sight. She would not have any part in this. He would choose my side, eventually. I strolled lazily towards him, but my muscles were coiled in stress.

"You are strong," I drawled ripping the stake out enjoying the gasp of pain that tore through his lips, "But not that strong."

I resisted the impulse to drive it back into him a thousand times over and then felt my mind reeling at the thought. Apparently, I just couldn't quite decide what I wanted to do with Stefan. Using the last ounce of patience I had in me, I closed the space between us, staring deeply into his eyes. All I saw was pain. Poor, pitiful, stupid pain. He didn't glance at Elena now, however, and held his eyes on me. Something in me stirred at that, that he could only focus on me and my power over him in this glorious moment. Elena faded as his eyes glazed over.

"Turn. It. Off." I commanded, no longer nonchalant. He glanced at her briefly and I saw the shove coming before I stumbled back from the small force.

"NO!" He ripped out of his throat the noise sounding painful and broken.

That was it. I was done. The small well of patience in my heart ran dry and my body tensed before I grabbed him by the neck forcing him back against the wall. The dry wall broke under the force and I nearly threw him completely through the wall, but checked myself. Something felt good about finally causing Stefan physical pain.

"TURN IT OFF!" I yelled back, hearing Elena gasp behind me, but ignoring it. Stefan didn't seemed surprised though, only determined. He attempted to struggle, but I only held him using more of my strength than I had in a while. Consciously avoiding Elena, I flicked my wrist and sent Stefan flying across the room and straight into a wall, metal clashing like a one man band. He groaned, his body making a clear imprint on the wall. My muscles rejoiced as adrenaline rushed through me. I knew a wild smirk had flown across my face as I sprinted over to him only to toss him to the other side. Again I was upon him before he could move, straddling him his shirt clenched in my hand as I pulled his face closer to mine.

"You see, Stefan? You are missing the fun of your true nature! Do you not remember what you used to be?" I was deathly clam before I exploded again, slamming him into the nearest solid structure. His eyes seemed to roll back and Elena screeched.

"Let go of him, Klaus!"

I paid her no mind, my mind only focused on Stefan. He was weak and pathetic, not at all the Ripper I had known in the 20s. I slammed him again and again like a ragdoll in mute frustration, just wanting him to see who he was. I paused for a few seconds, panting as I caught his eye again. The same scared, dimly lit eyes gazed back at me. A sadness wrenched itself through for a brief moment at what a worthless creature he had become. He was defeated.

Taking a few calming breaths,I brought my forehead to his and began to whisper to him. I have no idea how, but my anger began to ease slightly and the core of what I wanted began to reveal itself in slow steps. I wanted out of this wretched loneliness and I had tasted it once 90 years ago, I wasn't about to loose it again.

"Do you not remember the 20s, Stefan? How glorious they were?"

"I w-was... a... killer..." He muttered out, his breath pooled into my nostrils smelling tantalizingly like blood and death.

"Yes, but you were something more, Stefan." I whispered again, not knowing where exactly I was going. It was like that time at the bar, when I began relaying stories, feeling perfectly at ease with him. Odd.

"We were... are brothers, Stefan."

"I-I have... a brother..."

I sighed impatiently and pulled back, staring into his eyes roughly. He wasn't focused on Elena who was mute in shock and fear, only on me and my light blue eyes.

"Remember the lights, the glam, the feeling of being whomever you wished. Remember Rebekah, remember the women you were with and remember the recklessness that enveloped you, how liberating it was! But most importantly, Stefan, remember me. Remember our friendship." I whispered, resisting the urge to compel him. His mind moved slowly and I watched the wheels turn. I had really done a number on him and somewhere in my mind I rejoiced in that. After a few moments, I whispered again in a calm smooth voice that human ears couldn't hear. I noticed briefly that his eyes were closed and he was probably nearing unconsciousness.

"Turn it off..." My voice was low, but deathly calm and some how soothing even though the rage still pooled in my gut, ready to burst. I didn't know if he would walk out with his life if he refused me one more time.

And then I saw it.

His eyes snapped open and his body sagged, gagging out the grief and pain of holding back. I watched in silent amazement as did Elena and I backed away, slowly.

"What did you do...?" She asked, her voice broken and near silence.

I stared for a few more moments as the transition happened. His pitifully resistant eyes transformed into those of the old Stefan, his body capturing the old posture, even his mouth seemed to present a feint smirk. For a moment, I was in the 20s again, watching him from afar or admiring him across a shot of brandy. He transformed, right before my very eyes, into my brother, Stefan.

"I fixed him." I replied, my voice an awed whisper that surprised me. I finally turned to face her then, snapping the awe and relief off my face.

"I think a test is in order, don't you?" I sarcastically said, but something of the emotion from moments before still trickled in my voice. He was renewed, he was back. And he had done it on his own free will.

She began to shake her head before I dipped behind her. Again, her heartbeat sped up as I touched her neck and, had I not known better, I would have guessed she was aroused. I stared seriously at Stefan, though my mouth held a smirk.

"Ripper," I called, "Perhaps you would like a drink... From the doppelganger's neck...?" I asked, slowly with an undertone of awe and excitement.

He was still recovering, that I could see, but his eyes told me that he was no longer this pathetic, brooding vampire. He was, in fact, the nearly heartless killer I had found him as in the 20s. Elena shivered as she realized it too and I let a soft, whisper of a chuckle fall down her neck. Goosebumps of fear rose and a shiver she tried to suppress rocked her body.

Then he truly appeared. I moved away from the girl, smiling with giddy delight as I saw the slow menacing smirk twist onto his lips. He was perfect. I crossed my arms and leaned back against the table to watch the Ripper do his work. Although, the oddest thing satisfied me. The moment when Elena realized that he was, in fact, going to drink from her sent pleasure through my unbeating heart. Her confusion, fear, anger, and anguish set light chills ripple through me. I had won and she had lost. Lucky day for Niklaus.

Within seconds, he was on her, drinking from her without the least bit of care for her life. I felt the giddiness rise into my throat and my smile pull even higher onto my cheeks. This unchecked, unreserved, uncontainable Stefan was exactly who I had been missing for 90 years.

The fun couldn't last, naturally, since I had a feeling Elena's blood would be a bit more useful to us then her body, and I tapped him gently on the shoulder.

"Alright, Stefan, enough is enough." I said softly and, with a forceful tug from me, he released her gasping and smiling wildly from the rush of blood.

Elena crumbled promptly to the floor from exhaustion and I couldn't hide the wide smile that spread across my face as he turned to me without the slightest regard for her.

"Long time no see." I teased.

"Long time no see yourself, Nick... Or should I call you Klaus?" He seemed to muse over it a second in sarcastic thoughtfulness, "Which do you prefer?"

"Either one is good with me, mate." I said placing a firm hand on his shoulder. He felt stronger already, just from the mental shift that had taken place.

"Klaus it is then, Nick reminds me way too much of Rebekah."

I chuckled, eyeing him, "And here I was under the impression that you loved her."

He merely smirked and glanced at me, "Oh yeah. Sorry, I must have forgot that bit when I was going through my memories."

I chuckled and grasped his shoulder again, feeling the companionship returning a piece I had been missing. "Well, I'm going to get some blood out of this little girl and we'll be on our way."

I knelt down to sling her over my shoulder and then paused, turning back with a light smirk.

"Don't do anything too reckless."

Stefan laughed, but his laugh seemed different from the one I had slowly become accustom to in the last few months. It was deeper, with a seductive and maniacal undertone. Again, flashbacks staggered through my mind. Stefan sleeping and draining women. Stefan ripping body parts off of a living human, blood gushing onto his white shirt. Stefan telling me idiotic things while his head swam in drink. Stefan my friend. Stefan my brother.

I gave myself the opportunity to glance back once more at this new Stefan. He truly was perfect.

A/N: Hey! Alright so this is obviously a bit of an... Adjustment to what happened in 3x05. It is more of a character study of Klaus. I have a plan for this story to go somewhere, but I want to make sure I have Klaus down really well since it will be in first person. Yeah. A Klefan fic with Klaus in first person. Talk about one heck of a challenge. Anyway, I'll continue to rewrite this scene until I feel like I've got it down pat.

Please, tell me how I'm doing and tell me where I can improve!

PS: This chapter is titled after Find Me by Boyce Avenue

-Eclipse