Sincerely Yours [Stefan Salvatore]

[64. Secrets and Lies, Lies and Secrets]

[4x05; The Killer]

There were only a couple of things in Stefan's life that ever went right. They weren't very important things; his favorite coffee was easy to make, The Great Gatsby was an easy read, and small things like that. His relationship with Lucy was going great but even that had started out on a rough patch with the whole love-square thing and now he was keeping lies from her.

Which led him to the thing that was currently going wrong in his life.

Stefan had woken up with Lucy and everything was fine. They made out a little and it was going to go further but, like always, they were interrupted. It was Jeremy this time, asking Lucy if they could get breakfast before he went to work at ten because he missed her at the house. Lucy absolutely melted over it and practically kicked Stefan out of the loft once she got dressed so she could pick up her little brother.

He wasn't really bothered about that, though. He went home, took a cold shower, and called Elena to tell her about the cure. She was understandably excited about it and simultaneously disappointed that they had to work with Klaus and keep it a secret from everyone but she promised she would anyway. It was toward the end of the call that things started to go wrong. First, he got a text message from Klaus telling him that they had a problem. Second, when he went to Klaus' house to see what was wrong, he found the headless body of the hybrid that was supposed to be watching Connor.

And Connor was gone.

"How the fuck did Connor escape?" Stefan asked Klaus—who was still in Italy—as he rubbed his forehead, looking down at the dead hybrid.

"I blame mind-numbing incompetence but pointing fingers isn't going to help me," Klaus replied among the numerous sounds of construction equipment. "You're going to help me."

Stefan sighed and lowered his hand, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Well, he could be anywhere by now."

"Think, Stefan," Klaus prompted him. "He took the hybrid's head which means he wants werewolf toxin."

"Which means he plans to stay in Mystic Falls to kill vampires," Stefan realized.

"Which is a pity since I'm on the other side of the world, digging up a dead hunter. You'll have no access to my blood and therefore the antidote," Klaus pointed out needlessly. "Nevertheless, his tattoo is our only map to the cure so your task is quite simple. Find him, catch him, and above all, keep him alive. He's no good to us dead."

"Damon's been looking everywhere for him. If they cross paths..."

"You need to keep Damon in check."

"It would be a lot easier if I could tell him the truth."

"You trust Damon with the cure?" Klaus said flatly. "I imagine he prefers Elena the way she is."