Chapter 1

A Fresh Start

1994

It was a dark night. The streets were cold and the city barley had any light. Stefan was in his apartment, putting his knick knacks in place. He's been in Detroit for about 5 weeks and he still hasn't finished unpacking yet. He soon placed up a poster of Bon Jovi. Something Lexi bought him last year on his birthday. He loved it.

"I guess that's good for today." Stefan muttered to himself. "I see you still have a man crush on that 80's band huh?" Stefan heard a voice say near him. It was very taunting and familiar. Stefan narrowed his eyes knowing who it was. He turned around to face his brother. Damon. He was leaning against the living room doorway.

"What are you doing here Damon? Shouldn't you be at least 300 miles away from me?" Stefan wondered. Damon looked down and chuckled slightly under his breath. He soon looked up at his pathetic excuse of a younger vampire brother. "I was in the neighborhood. Happened to find out you lived here and well...I was wondering if I could spend the night?" Damon wondered with a smirk. Stefan rolled his eyes and said sternly, "Get out. You're not staying here." "One night. That's all I ask. Just one night with my baby bro and I'll be out of your hair...speaking of hair...you look dreadful in that hairstyle!" Damon stated, while referring to Stefan's grunge look.

Stefan rolled his eyes in frustration. 'When will he leave!?' was what Stefan was thinking. "Get out Damon!" Stefan told him more forcefully. "Fine then, I'll leave. I know when I'm not wanted." Damon said nearly dramatically before walking off. Stefan followed just in case Damon decided to make a scene. Since they were on the first floor, leaving the apartment was quick. Just as Damon stepped foot out of the door, he stopped dead-end on his tracks. Stefan noticing this, followed Damon behind and was next to him. "What's wrong now?!" He said in annoyance.

He soon looked down and saw a little basket. This puzzled both Stefan and Damon. They couldn't help but stare at the basket, wondering what could be in it. Stefan soon picked it up and carried it back to his apartment with Damon's help. "What do you think is in there?" Stefan asked Damon after placing it down on the kitchen table. "Probably a fruit basket...or a muffin basket...whatever those girl scouts are selling these days." Damon suggested. Stefan shook his head, knowing it couldn't be that. "Well, just open the damn thing and let's see!" Damon said in frustration. It felt odd to him. Stefan hesitated slowly, before pulling the dark purple sheet off the covered basket. In there they saw what it was...or in this case...WHO it was.

It was a baby!

It seemed a few weeks old. Stefan and Damon were both in shock. They did NOT expect that at all! "What kind of a sick moron would leave a baby out on the streets on a cold night!? It could have caught a cold or something!" Stefan exclaimed to Damon. "Well maybe they didn't want the thing and decided to give it up or something and also, you barely know it yet you're already being protective of it, Stef?" Damon pointed out. "Why couldn't they put the baby in an orphanage or something? And also who WOULDN'T be protective of children?!" Stefan stated. Damon rolled his eyes at his little brother.

The human's been here for less than a minute and he's already growing soft...er than usual!

"Well, good luck with it!" Damon said before speeding out, but Stefan stopped him. "Oh no! You're NOT letting me raise a baby by myself!" He stated. "Who said you have to raise it?! You could just leave it on someone else's doorstep and let them take care of it!" Damon proposed. "That baby was on MY doorstep meaning its family chose ME to take care of it and since it's gonna be MY responsibility, as MY brother, you should help me raise the child!" Stefan stated. Damon huffed and puffed and realized there was no use. And besides it would be very amusing to see Stefan change the kid's diaper. Yeah, there's no way he's gonna miss an opportunity to see Stefan screw up as a parent, unless he gets bored or something!

"Fine, I'll help raise IT!" Damon said in defeat. "Stop calling it, it! Its got a gender." Stefan snapped slightly. They both went to the baby and carefully checked its merchandise.

Yep... it was female alright.

"So what now?" Damon wondered. As if on cue, the baby started to howl and scream like someone was killing it. "What the hell!?" Damon leaped at the sound that alarmed both him and Stefan. "Well, either she needs a change, is hungry or she's tired." Stefan told Damon. "Well, I'm putting my money on the last part." Damon said. Stefan sighed slightly.

These will be the LONGEST 18 years of his life!

2009

After coming back from the cemetery, Stefan sped the rest of the way home. He started to write in his Journal on how he couldn't resist Elena Gilbert anymore. He feared he would kill her and end up becoming the monster from the 20's all over again.

"Whatcha' writing?" Christina asked him playfully. "I'm not telling you." He told her, without looking up from his book. "Fine then...ooh is this mine?!" She wondered as she snatched Elena's diary from his desk. "Hey, give that back! You know that's not yours!" He told her, now standing up from his seat. "Whose is it then?" She asked him. "It's Elena's." He told her. "Who?" Christina asked in confusion. "Elena...Elena Gilbert. She's that girl I saved last summer from driving off Wickory bridge." He explained to her. "Oh you mean that sadistic girl?" She wondered. "She's not sadistic, you're confusing her with someone else." Stefan states. Christina thought it over and said, "Ooh you mean the sad puppy eyed girl you told me about." Stefan rolled his eyes at the nickname his daughter gave her.

"Yes, that one." "huh? I wonder what juicy little secrets she puts in here!" Christina wondered, while opening the book. The minute she turned a page, Stefan used his vampire speed and snatched it out of her hand. "Hey no fair! I had it first!" She stated. "Elena had it first... you just snatched it first." Stefan pointed out with a smirk. "Touche'!" Christina replied with a smirk as well before leaving the room. "Uh...Dad?" She asked when she stopped near the doorway. "Yeah?" Stefan said. "Even though you're a vampire...don't forget to wear a condom on your date!" She giggled before leaving the room. Stefan looked at her thinking she was crazy. He shook his head and nearly laughed out.

He may have raised her for most of her life, but she had strangely inherited the personality of Lexi and Damon combined, even though they briefly raised her as well.

Meeting the Other Parent

Stefan was at the Bonfire party with Elena, while Zach and Christina stayed behind playing cards.

"I got queens!" She sung as she placed them down on the kitchen table. "I'll raise your queen and give you kings." Zach said playfully, while putting king cards over her queens. "Make your move." Christina thought it over then she started to smirk. She soon picked up a card a slammed it down with the other cards. "Ace! I win!" She shouted out, while laughing evilly. "No way! Why do you ALWAYS have the good cards!?" He said in shock. "Because I'm a GOOOD card shuffler!" She teased. Zach huffed and rolled his eyes as Christina was performing her victory dance.

It was literally the 57th time she won at cards. Her only players were Stefan and Zach. Lexi dared not get involved.

Suddenly, Stefan rushed into the house in alarm. As if automatically, Christina stopped her victory dance and looked at her dad in concern, before saying anything, her uncle Zach said it for her. "What's going on?" He asked Stefan. "Someone else was attacked tonight, Zach, and it wasn't me." Stefan told him before walking off. "Well who did it?!" Christina wondered as she followed her father. She followed him up to his bedroom, but paused suddenly when she noticed her dad noticed a crow. They both turn their heads slightly. "Damon." Stefan said in shock, yet in spite.

"Hello, brother." Damon said tauntfully with a smirk. He didn't see Christina hiding near the doorway, but he could hear a heart beat. He assumed it was Zach, since he was pretty sure he was the only human in the house.

Christina was shocked. The raven haired man right before her eyes, looked slightly familiar yet she had no clue who he was. Even his name was familiar.

"Crow's a bit much, don't you think?" Stefan started out. He knew his brother was here for a reason, and he hoped it wasn't to make his eternity a misery as promised. "Wait till you see what I can do with the fog." Damon bragged. "When'd you get here?" Stefan asked, getting straight to the point, since his brother seemed to be enjoying himself a little TOO much. "Well, I couldn't miss your first day at school. Your hair's different. I like it." Damon lied, yet honestly complimented.

"It's been 15 years, Damon." Stefan reminded him, hoping he knew how old Christina might be by then. "Thank god. I couldn't take another day of the nineties. The movies sucked, the music didn't work well much and that baby made it worse, hopefully she died young. And that horrible grunge look? Did not suit you. Remember, Stefan, it's important to stay away from fads." Damon informed him. He really hated that baby. Leaving it was the best thing he could ever think of. Sure he sorta ended up liking the kid a bit, but he had important matters to attend. And besides Katherine HATES kids! Especially human ones...

Christina looked at him in shock. Was he talking about her or someone else? She didn't know. She knew she was born in the 90's, maybe it was a coincidence...or maybe...it's not.

"Why are you here?" Stefan asked him, ignoring his little comment of wishing Christina died young. The nerve of him to mention her to his face and wishing she was dead. Raising Christina wasn't the worst thing to ever happen in the nineties...it was the BEST! In fact, if he could go back in time to relive all those tears she shed as an infant, those long hours it took to put her to bed as a toddler, and those millions of curious questions she'd ask every 2 minutes as a grade schooler, he'd gladly do it all again with no regrets. Raising her was probably the best thing that's ever happen to him ever since he became a vampire.

"I miss my little brother." Damon told him. He wasn't exactly lying that much. It was true he did miss his brother, but that wasn't the reason why he showed up in town for.

Brother? Christina thought over in her head. How did she not know she had an uncle, aside from Zach? These news were much more shocking to her than the news her dad told her earlier about someone being attacked. Obviously, her 'uncle' was the cause of it. It made her wonder what he was like. She started to eavesdrop closer, while still being able to not be seen by them.

"You hate small towns. It's boring. There's nothing for you to do." Stefan stated to him. "I've managed to keep myself busy." Damon told him.

Ain't that the truth! Stefan thought. He SOO badly wanted to roll his eyes, but restrained himself. "Why are you here now?" Stefan wondered. Christina wondered as well, yet kept her heart rate low. "I could ask you the same thing. However, I'm fairly certain you answer can be summed up all into one little word...Elena." Damon teased. Stefan and Christina both were in shock. How did he know about Elena!? Was he spying on us?! They both thought and wondered.

Damon smirked at this and continued with his taunting. "She took my breath away. Elena. She's a dead ringer for Katherine. Is it working, Stefan? Being around her, being in her world? Does it make you feel alive?" "She's not Katherine." Stefan informed him.

Christina was thinking the same thing, but then again she never even met Elena to be sure. She only got what her dad told her, which wasn't much if you asked her.

"Well, lets hope not. We both know how that ended. Tell me, when's the last time you had something stronger than a squirrel?" Damon wondered. "I know what you're doing, Damon. It's not gonna work." Stefan told him. He was tired of playing this same game with Damon every time. "Yeah? Come on. Don't you crave a little?" Damon asked him, while hitting him slightly. "Stop it." Stefan told him. He was feeling uncomfortable.

Christina felt helpless, not knowing what to do.

"Let's do it. Together. I saw a couple of girls out there. Or just, let's cut to the chase, and let's just go straight for Elena." Damon told him. "Stop it!" Stefan warned him. He didn't want to hurt him, but he was making it so hard for him to keep control.

Christina knew from the tone of her father's voice that he was gonna snap. She soon embraced herself for what she was gonna see him do, in front of her.

"Imagine what her blood taste like! I can." Damon said to him. Stefan soon turned around with a vamped up look and shouted out,

"I said 'STOP!'",

before speeding up to Damon and flying at him across the room out off the window.

Christina looked in shock. Never had she actually seen her dad 'fly' before. It was both amazing and horrifying at the same time. She felt both proud and scared for him at the moment. She quickly left the scene and went outside to see her dad get knocked into a couple of garbage cans by Damon.

"Dad! Stop you're hurting him!" She shouted out to Damon, so he could hear her. She was still standing near the house as they were across away.

Damon turned to look at the helpless human. She looked familiar, from her eyes. He soon realized it was that damn baby from 1994. Man, she turned out pretty attractive for a 15-year-old! "I see you kept the baby, Stef. Sup, Chrissy how you doing?! It's great to see you again. My, you have grown. Anyway I got to go. Family reunions gonna be a cut short." Damon said before speeding off. Stefan let out a breath of relief.

He feared Damon would have killed Christina right there and then, but it still didn't mean he wasn't going to do it one day.

Stefan and Christina were in the living room. Christina had went to the cellar and brought out a blood bag. "Here you go." She told him as she passed it to him. He pushed it away. "Dad, you need it...you need blood." "No, baby I can't...I can't take it." He told her, while looking into her brownish blueish eyes. "But dad you're not healing...I mean you are, but slowly. This is gonna help you. It's gonna help you heal faster and feel stronger. Please dad, you don't have another choice!" She tried to persuade him. "I have a choice, Chrissy...and I choose to not drink it. I'll be fine without it. I've done it before, I'll do it again. It's okay Chrissy, I'll be fine. I can't drink it. You know what it does to me...you know." Stefan told her. Christina hesitated before placing the blood bag down, far away from her dad.

"Who was that anyway?!" Christina suddenly bursted out. She's been waiting to ask that all night.

"That was Damon. He's my brother, and technically your uncle." Stefan explained to her. He knew this was coming sooner or later. Might as well spit it out now before it was too late. "How come you never told me about him?" She asked, wondering why her dad was suddenly keeping secrets from her. First it was being a vampire, which she understands why it took him a while to tell her, now it's keeping her uncle a secret...what other secrets were there? That her real birth parents were aliens or something?!

"I didn't want you to know him. Damon has no humanity, he doesn't care. I was actually surprised and relieved that he didn't kill you tonight, given he never was fond of you as a child." Stefan continued. "So it was true what he was saying, wasn't it?" Christina wondered. "Look, I don't know how much of the conversation you heard, but when you were a baby both Damon and I raised you. I enjoyed it, but he didn't, yet he stayed around. He pretty much hated you as an infant. He disliked you so much he even went over the edge to compel you to stop crying. It worked of course, but you had your ways of making his life difficult. Anyway 5 months later he left, leaving me to raise you by myself, with Lexi's help of course. That's another reason why I didn't want to tell you about Damon. I didn't want you to think that people are going to leave you all the time, just like your parents did. They left, Damon left, even Lexi left, but at least with her it was temporarily; every year she'd come back for you and me. But I didn't leave. I just want you to know that everyone's not gonna leave you. I'm not going to let you get abandoned, not this time. Not ever." He told her.

Christina had tears in her eyes yet she nodded at what her dad told her. He was right, not everyone was going to abandon her, but still...it didn't mean it didn't hurt. Ever since she was a kid she'd always think about what her real parents were like, what they looked like, and more importantly, why they gave her up in the first place. The thought of being unwanted in this world always had hurt her, but she hid it very well, from her dad, from her family, even from herself.

"I understand. You were trying to protect me. You'll always protect me." Christina clarified for herself. Stefan nodded and told her, "I don't want you anywhere near Damon. He's dangerous and I have no idea why he's in town or what he's doing, but please stay away from him. He could kill you." Christina nodded and said, "I promise. I'll be alright dad. There's nothing you should be worried about." Stefan smiled slightly.

He never understood why, but Christina always managed to make him feel better, even when she wasn't trying. She was literally his light in life. She was what kept him together. Never in his entire existence, had he thought he'd find such a reason to live. He really had no regrets on raising her. Just to think that little helpless girl in that small basket would turn out to be a fun, exciting, outstanding, extraordinary, outgoing, creative, young lady.

Stefan never usually pats himself on the back, but this right here was making it happen.