Vampire Whisperer

By:WhiteGloves

"Hello, my shadow-self"

-Silas to Stefan

Damon Salvatore dropped his glass of wine on the top of the table with his forehead in its usual contracted form. He looked from left to right with raise eyebrows as if to feel if anyone was around and then looked down the table again. When nothing came to him, he blinked and then considered for a moment, before wiping the frown off his face with a shrug and slumping himself down the nearest couch with what appeared to be a sigh.

Then came his thoughts and the frown easily went back to his forehead as if it was carved there like a stone. Something was bothering the old Salvatore but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

Truth be told, he didn't know when he got so accustomed in frowning, but the Damon Salvatore of the old years weren't that easy to be find frowning. He knows for a fact that making such a face doesn't only look bothersome but it'll make you look like you're thinking of complicated things. Old Damon doesn't like complicated things. He likes things fun and raw. Oh, he missed the old him alright.

Then the thought of a slap from his present girlfriend, Elena Gilbert, suddenly made Damon feel uneasy. If Elena could read his mind right now she'll definite give him a blow—just like those poor hollow blocks.

Elena Gilbert...

Now he knew what was bothering him and making him frown all that time.

It was just three nights ago when Elena told him she loves him. It was also just three nights ago when Stefan stopped acting like Stefan and gave him the cold shoulder. If it was possible then he'd say Stefan had also stopped smelling like Stefan.

Not that he was expecting his baby bro to be absolutely thrilled about the whole idea of his reformed relationship with Elena, but the fact that Stefan became very distant and barely feels like his younger brother was the real catch with Elena choosing him.

And Damon knew he was frowning again.

Raising his right palm to his face, Damon massaged his forehead with his finger tips and tried to relax his overly stressed handsome face. Only Stefan can really make him feel so worked out. Dear old Stefan.

Talk about baby bro power.

Damon...

Damon slowly opened his eyes with a sudden confused look. What the hell was that voice just now?

He paused for a moment to listen more but nothing came so he started to close his eyes again.

Damon...

Damon frowned with eyes closed.

And there it was again... the voice...

Damon... the voice was familiar to him... sounds like that guy alright...

Damon... it was coming from somewhere so far...

"Damn conscience..." he told himself gruffly with eyes tightly closed. Why does Stefan have to sound like his conscience?

Damon... DAMON!

The older Salvatore jumped up from where he was sitting with his cold heart thumping loudly against his chest. He didn't know what was up but why does it feel like Stefan was calling out to him as if he was in a big trouble?

"Damon?" said a familiar voice.

Damon turned around sharply to find himself face to face with his younger brother, Stefan Salvatore. The two brothers eyed each other and for a moment Damon felt relief wash over his body to find his brother with him just then.

Stefan eyed Damon questioningly and then blinked once.

"What's wrong? You look like you're seeing a ghost."

Damon refrained from answering for awhile as he was finally able to have a proper eye contact with his brother since the day he told him he was 'not not happy' for him. Looking Stefan in the eyes, Damon couldn't help feeling cold himself for the gentleness in his brother's eyes weren't there at all. Was this the real effect of Elena finally choosing him, Damon? He didn't think his conscience can take that at all.

"Uh... nothing, it's nothing," he said finally and rather uncomfortably as he gestured his hands around, "just the alcohol... and don't talk about ghost in front of me yet...an afternoon with Lexy's quite enough."

Stefan nodded slowly and then shrugged his shoulders before turning around to leave.

"You're going somewhere?" Damon asked sounding a little bit giving his worry away.

Stefan turned a look at him but didn't stop walking till he was at the door.

"Why, do you want to tag along?" he asked with a nasty smirk.

Damon wasn't able to reply as Stefan closed the door shut on his face. The older Salvatore was left frowning again as he stared at the close door.

"What?" he muttered with a shook of the head and hands on his hips, "can answering properly make him a duck? What a dick!"

"Who's the dick? You can't be talking about me, right?"

Damon raised his head and his eyes fell on little-alive-again, Jeremy Gilbert.

That's why Stefan should really have stopped Elena from burning the Gilbert house. One little brother down, another little brother of girl friend to go. Damon Salvatore's life just keeps getting better and better.

"Who knows?" he replied with a shrug as he dropped himself on the couch again, "there can be two dicks in the house for all I care."

"Make that three," Jeremy replied dryly with a pointed look at him, "anyway I was just about to ask where Elena is,"

"She's with Caroline and they're rounding up the whole city for a perfect college dormitory for all the life that it takes. Can't those two realize they have unlimited years to look forward to college? I can't remember the number of times I checked on Stefan filling out his college application form."

"Try telling that to Elena," Jeremy answered shortly as he took out his phone, "I don't think you should spoil her first time to everything just because she's a vampire."

"You think?" Damon said in a mocking tone but then his facial expression changed as he heard Stefan's solemn voice calling out inside or wherever in his head again.

Damon...

Jeremy noticed the change in the older Salvatore.

"What's the matter?"

Damon's frowning face was serious this time. He put his index finger to his lips and pressed it with an almost annoying look at Jeremy.

"This damn voice..." he said after awhile as he slowly stood up, "belongs to Stefan alright..."

"What?"

Damon threw him a look.

"You know if you'd just tell our witchy friend to return as quick as she can from her vacation then I'd gladly tell you what my problem is."

Jeremy's face turned pale and Damon noticed it.

"What's your problem?"

Jeremy turned away in a hurry but then stopped in his tracks and dropped his phone down the floor with a clatter. Damon watched the young Gilbert's body went rigid as if seeing something other people could not...

A ghost, perhaps?

Damon was just about to ask who it was when all of a sudden Jeremy blurted out—

"Lexy?"

"Again?" Damon couldn't help putting emphasis on his word as he walked around the couch toward where Jeremy was standing quite immobilize and seemingly listening to the ghost. Before Damon could reach Jeremy, however, the young Gilbert turned to him very sharply that it threatened to break his neck.

"Damon!" he called urgently and with fear in his eyes. Damon's attitude changed.

Damon was in all gears as he sped up his car toward the lake.

It was clear to him this time that Jeremy Gilbert was indeed his bringer of bad news.

Maybe little Gilbert could do a part time job playing as little dead god.

Damon nearly laughed at his own joke if not for his own overwhelming feeling. Not that he was worried really—but the idea— just the idea that his younger brother was thrown in the lake inside a giant heavy box was making him flair up in rage. How long has Stefan been there according to Lexy? Three days?

Damn that Silas!

Speeding up and not caring for anything on the road, Damon was able to reach the lake side within a quarter. He kicked on the breaks, threw his damn car door open, strode toward the edge of the cliff, removed his heavy jacket and then without further hesitation jumped on the lake.

The lake was dark as the older brother swam on. He could hear Stefan calling to him for who knows how and he just knew Stefan had been calling for his help ever since he was thrown away. Why wasn't he able to see through that damn fake? Was it because he took it for granted that Stefan would be uneasy with him being with Elena? Screw him!

It took him a long time to locate the heavy vessel and when he did, he swam toward it with great eagerness. When he reached the cold metal, flair of anger went up inside him at the idea that Silas intend to play as his younger brother while the real Stefan was rotting with the fish. Wishing that he could rip Silas for all its worth, Damon grabbed the metal lock and mercilessly wrenched it away.

The door gave in immediately and Damon was greeted with a stone white looking Stefan. Damon went to his side and felt Stefan grab his shoulder shakily. Damon nodded at him assuringly and took him by the elbow. He pulled his younger brother strongly like a rag doll and didn't plan to let go till Stefan was back in their house.

When the two surfaced, both ended up coughing on the shore. Damon thumped Stefan's back as the younger Salvatore continued to cough all the unnecessary liquid in his body. It took moments to calm him down and Damon never left him. He never felt like it was safe to do so just then.

"With everything going on to you, Stef," the older brother pointed as finally, the two dropped on the ground, facing each other and dripping wet, "I wonder if I could still leave you alone or turn my back on you for even one single minute. I let you do something on your own and this happens! What happened to independence?!"

Stefan wiped his face weakly and breathed hard on the ground.

"H-how did you know where...?" he said in between coughs.

"Haven't you heard of GPS? No—seriously, how can't I not know when every second of the day I hear you calling me even when you're there facing me? Dammit, Stef... who would have thought Silas would throw you away just to replace you?"

At the idea of another person replacing him, Stefan's eyes bulged. Damon studied the effect of this to the already chalk white younger Salvatore and didn't like it.

"Damon!" Stefan gasped urgently as Damon went to his side.

"Save it, you're gonna have to feed," Damon said in a voice that invited no opposition. He put Stefan's arm around his shoulder and half carried, half dragged his brother toward the car, "seriously being stuck inside that damn vault. Even dracula's got it better."

"Damon..."

"I know, I know... just keep calling my name like that if you need me. I think I'll hear you no matter how far. It's either I'm psychic or you're just lucky to have me. Now let's go, enough mumbling... I'll hear you once I know you're out of the blue and inside our house again."

He dropped Stefan on the passanger's seat and then rounded toward the driver's seat muttering—

"I'm sure you can't have anything to tell me that might be worst than Jeremy Gilbert telling me you were thrown down the lake three days ago. He's my death god. You can't be that bad."

How wrong Damon was.

-THE END-

I can't wait to see Damon's reaction to Stefan's fate!

Come on Season 5!

Thanks for Reading!