"Could you maybe give me a hand?" the achingly familiar girl asked him desperately, her voice filled with a mix of pain and frustration. Stefan was standing there rigid, frozen in a mix of shock and bloodlust.

"I... I..." He was attempting to come up with some excuse as to why he couldn't, that he'd go get someone else, someone who wouldn't be putting her life in danger simply by inhaling the same air. But, his mouth couldn't form the words, everything seeming to blend together in his mind. "Turn your leg to the right."

The girl tried desperately to follow his commands, but the metal from the fence was digging into her calf, causing blood to gush at every movement. Damn it, his control was faltering. "I can't!" she pleaded weakly.

He didn't know why he did it. But slowly and hesitantly he approached the dark haired girl, doing everything he could not to stare at the red blood flooding out of her leg. It would be so easy just to gently run his fingertips along the olive skin of her leg and have one taste; he didn't even have to hurt her or go near the wound itself...

No! He snapped himself out of his tempting thoughts once again. Help the girl. Feed later, he kept repeating over and over again.

Slowly, Stefan placed his arm on her back. "I need you to relax and stay still, okay? I'm going to get you out of this and send you to the closest possible hospital..."

She slumped against him. "No!" Her voice was hoarse and desperate and she tried to clutch his suit collar. "Don't have... the money."

With a deep sigh, Stefan nodded and quickly tried to think of a different alternative. "Let's just concentrate on getting you out, okay?" The girl nodded. "What's your name?"

"Elena," she breathed.

Huh. So she definitely wasn't Katherine, if the scent of human blood hadn't given it away. Oh well, he'd worry about that later. "Alright, Miss Elena, just take a deep breath in..." He heard her shaky exhale. "...And out."

And then she passed out.

Quickly, Stefan moved to the fence, using his inhuman strength to pull the rusty bars far enough to get her out. Without going near her leg -or getting any blood on his hands- he managed to pull her away from the fence, although the red, potent liquid continued to rush down her skin onto the pavement.

Stefan acted next without even thinking. Thoughtlessly allowing his fangs to extend, he bit into his wrist and forced it in her mouth. He watched as the deep wound gradually closed up, along with his clouded thoughts. Now he could actually concentrate.

But where could he take her if it wasn't the hospital? He surely couldn't leave her there.

Swimming in regret, Stefan picked up a fragile looking Elena in his arms and sped off.

By the time they reached his apartment, Stefan was desperate to escape the smell of human blood that evaded his senses. In any normal case, the tantalizing scent would have been a delight, but at this point, knowing that he couldn't have any of it, he felt nauseated.

He opened the door slowly and with a whine, Elena began to wake up. Instantly, her head fell onto his shoulder, only making him hold his breath. Such a beautiful woman in his arms, such a vulnerable, beautiful woman.

His gums ached with hunger. Setting her down on the couch, he took a good look at her face, so identical to Katherine's that it gave him chills.

Within a few seconds, Elena was alert. Dazed, but alert nevertheless. "Hello," he slowly whispered, careful to keep his distance. His gaze lingered on Elena's youthful face as she took in his dingy apartment as if it were a fine hotel room. "How are you feeling?"

Elena was in shock, that much was obvious. Without even answering his question, she gestured down to her crimson stained clothes and spoke slowly, monotonously. "Is there a place where I can-"

"Through the bedroom to your left. There's a shower with running water. You can use it."

Her chocolaty brown eyes widened, the thought of something as simple plumbing lighting her face up. "Go ahead," he politely urged.

Dazedly, Elena walked into the bathroom, -with Stefan's help- and closed the door behind her.

The second the door closed and he heard the sound of water rushing from the shower faucet, Stefan clutched his hair and closed his eyes. He could practically feel his heart bursting through his chest.

Breathe, he reminded himself. In. Out. In. Out.

The smell of blood was everywhere. It was wafting through his apartment, emanating off of him. His clothes. Her lingering presence.

Almost viciously, Stefan threw his suit jacket off of him, followed by his now reddened shirt. But before throwing the button down into a corner along with the jacket, his fingers wouldn't listen to his mind, and just continued to clutch the fabric in his rough hands.

Red always had been his favorite color. And now, maybe if he just inhaled the coppery, spicy liquid it would quench his thirst. Maybe one simple taste of blood wouldn't harm him. He hadn't fed in days, and he was starving. His canines ached and his eyes darkened in desire.

Just as he was about to close his eyes, breathe in the aroma, and throw his every ounce of control out the window, the bathroom door opened.

"What happened to the wound?" Elena determinedly emerged, all signs of her previous numbness completely gone. The simple, brown towel that Stefan had hanging from the door was wrapped around her tiny frame, and she stopped dead in her tracks when she got a good look at her savior.

He was beautiful. With sandy brown hair gelled back to show his young looking face and a perfectly sculpted torso, she couldn't help but stare. Had it just so happened that she'd been saved by an angel?

Mysterious teal eyes shone on his nameless face, and she must have known she was staring. Because, oddly enough, he was looking at her the same way.

Stefan took in the sight of her. A few drops of water lingered on her tan shoulders, and her hair was drying behind her back in a chocolate sea of waves. Her face, the same as Katherine's, glimmered with a kind of youthful fire that his ex lover never had.

"I'm sorry. Could you repeat the question?" he asked when he snapped himself back into reality.

"The wire cut my leg. I saw it. What happened?" Elena crossed her arms over her chest sternly. "And I remember... You didn't want to save me. So why did you?"

AN: So just getting into the story. I promise, the next chapter will have more Stelena in it :) They just really met each other this chapter, but there will be better things to come if you want it!

Please review and tell me what you thought! What you liked, what you didn't like, etc. Everything helps me put up the best updates possible! Should I still continue to write this fic?
Thanks for reading! :D

-Sara