AU. Season three, after the ball Kol and Damon are kidnapped and spelled to lose their memories to the time of their last human age. Esther doesn't try and kill her children.
Damon Salvatore and Kol Mikaelson are lying on the floor of a warehouse. Damon opens his eyes and turns to the younger boy beside him. His head is throbbing and he feels a weird energy underneath his skin.
" Who are you?" Damon asks the teenager beside him.
" Kol Mikaelson and you are?" Kol asks.
" Lieutenant Damon Salvatore " he responds standing up.
" Are you a warrior?" Kol asks confused.
" No I'm in charge though twenty third Virginia regiment. Confederate army " Damon explains with distaste.
" I don't know what any of that is but I'm training to be a Viking warrior " Kol says when the door is blown open.
" Stefan " Damon breaths out softly with relief.
" Nikky what's going on?" Kol asks and Klaus smiles at the old nickname before raising an eyebrow.
" Nikky?" Stefan asks.
" He hadn't called me that in a thousand years " Klaus replies.
" A thousand years what are you bloody talking about I called you that not a few minutes ago " Kol protests.
" Kol what year do you think it is?" Klaus asks and Stefan moves to the silent Damon.
" Why the mark of my eighteenth year " Kol responds.
" And you Damon ?" Klaus asks never looking away from his little brother.
" 25 birthday 1864 " Damon responds.
" What?" Stefan asks holding his brothers arms tightly.
" You have a stronger grip now Stefan " Damon teases lightly. All anger lines and stress are removed from both boys. " Do we know them?" Damon asks.
" You will " Stefan responds. " What is the last thing you remember?" Stefan asks.
" I had just led a group from New York along with mine into battle and we won " Damon responds no pride in his voice.
" Alright well you lost your memories. It is 2012. We are vampires " Stefan responds.
" A vampire Stefan you can surely do better " Damon scoffs.
" Right you haven't met Katherine yet" Stefan responds.
" Where are our siblings?" Kol asks Klaus.
" Come with me " Klaus says taking his brother and they run from the room.
" What the hell?" Damon asks looking to where they disappeared from.
" Damon please believe me your a vampire see I am too" Stefan replies showing his fangs. Damon opens his mouth in amazement and realizes how much more love he feels for his brother than before. The way everything was louder, clearer, the burning in his throat. Focusing he makes his fangs come out and reaches his hand up to feel his own fangs.
" I want to go home or wherever we live. See our friends maybe it'll jog my memory " Damon suggests. Stefan nods knowing it couldn't hurt. He shows Damon how to run and Damon runs right next to his brother with ease.
" Okay all of you now need to know Damon doesn't remember anything from his 25th birthday forward " Stefan announces as they walk in. They all turn to look at Damon, he has an innocent expression on his face and all anger was gone. He face was soft and he was looking at Stefan with pride and love a look he had never had before. Stefan can feel his brother's gaze and relaxes from the familiarity of it.
" Damon do you maybe remember the witch who took you?" Bonnie asks softly.
" No I remember my men celebrating and that was it " Damon responds.
" What?" Caroline asks confused.
" Damon was a lieutenant in the con- the army " Stefan responds knowing how much his brother hated what he fought for.
" No need to lie brother, the confederacy " Damon responds. Stefan grimaces at how he feels ashamed from Damon's words. They hadn't had that effect on him in 160 years.
" You fought for slavery?" Caroline asks and Damon looks over to her. No one could recognize his eyes, the way they burned with passion and love which was apparently all for Stefan.
" We owned them too. Not something I am very proud of " Damon responds.
" Right well I'm Caroline Forbes " she says smiling at Damon.
" Where we friends ?" Damon asks.
" Something like that " Caroline responds looking away.
" Whatever I did I'm sorry " Damon responds easily picking up on her feelings.
" Thanks " Caroline says looking up into his eyes.
" Is this Miss Katherine ?" Damon asks turning to Elena.
" You remember her?" Elena asks.
" No Stefan just gushed to me about her in his letter " Damon explains. Stefan turns away a faint smile gracing his lips.
" No I'm Elena Gilbert and we were friends " Elena responds she extends her hand and Damon takes it kissing it lightly.
" Bonnie Bennett, you and I did not get along " she responded smirking at him.
" Well I'm sure I did something to deserve your ire. I do hope despite whatever I did we can start over " Damon says then turning to Alaric.
" Alaric Saltzman and you are my best friend " he says and Damon nods smiling.
" Good to know " Damon says shaking his hand before returning to Stefan's side.
" Well I'm going to fill Damon in on everything that is going on, so get out " Stefan says harshly. His humanity had come back after feeling Damon's loving gaze on him but he was going to keep up the asshole routine.
" Do not be rude to your friends Stef " Damon scolds and Alaric smirks slightly at his best friend treating the brother he 'hates' like a child. Elena looks back at them in confusion and sees Stefan lower his head.
" He has his humanity off he can't help but be a jerk " Elena explains and Alaric stops to watch her.
" Yeah well he will work on it won't you Stef " Damon says in a fake cheery tone. Stefan doesn't answer and holds back a wince as he feels Damon's gaze sharpen towards him. " Stefan " Damon prompts a deadly edge to his voice.
" Si fratello. I'll work on it " Stefan gives and Damon smiles.
" Good " he responds. " Sorry he has never been good at biting his tongue. See you later " Damon says to Elena who nods and walks off with Alaric.
They get in the car with Caroline who drives them towards their house.
" Oh my god did you see them, Stefan was totally submissive to an essentially human Damon " Caroline says giggling.
" That's because Stefan has more respect to his ' human ' brother " Alaric explains.
" He looked so young and happy. The way he looked at Stefan. Katherine better not show her face or she's dead, she destroyed them " Caroline says surprising the passengers of the car. " What he made up with Bonnie and apologized. He is not an ass anymore " Caroline defends.
" But defiantly deadlier almost " Alaric comments and Caroline nods.
" How he can barely control his powers ?" Elena asks.
" He cares he fought for something he didn't believe in and won. Imagine him fighting for people he cared about. There wouldn't be time for his old snarky comments because he will have killed everyone " Alaric explains.
" Stefan has his humanity on " Caroline adds.
" What no you saw him being a jerk " Elena protests.
" He submitted to Damon. It was on the minute Damon fixed that intense gaze on him. I could feel his emotions again " Caroline replies with a smile on her face.
" I don't understand how you can like him after everything he did to you " Elena says crossing her arms.
" Same reason Alaric can like him after Damon has killed him multiple times. Same reasons Stefan loves his brother after everything. You forgave him for everything. It's Damon" Caroline responds stopping the car outside their house.
" You seem oddly happy about this " Elena accuses.
" I don't know what your implying get out of my car " Caroline snaps. Alaric sighs says goodbye to Caroline and grabs Elena's arm pulling her away.
She drives to the Grill and sees Stefan talking with some people while Damon stands behind his little brother.
" Damon " Caroline calls walking over.
" My brother told me what I did to you. I can not believe I would be such a monster. I am deeply sorry for my actions " Damon says.
" Oh it's alright you didn't have your humanity on " Caroline waves off the topic.
" So what did Stefan tell you?" She asks.
" Everything from how much I hated him, to how I felt for Katherine, Elena, you Bonnie, Jeremy, everyone in this town. " Damon says guilt seeping into his voice.
" Stop it do not feel guilty " Stefan scolds turning around from talking to Matt.
" Stef I know I do not remember but it was me who did all those things I am definitely to be held responsible " Damon responds and Stefan sighs knowing better than to argue with him.
" Well this is your favorite hang out. That is your seat and that's Ric's " Caroline says cheerfully.
" What do he and I drink usually?" Damon asks.
" Bourbon " Caroline answers.
" See when I was human or something like that I drank vodka " Damon responds thinking.
" Just straight up tasteless vodka?" Caroline asks.
" In the civil war soldiers drank it so the pain would be numbed " Stefan explains.
" It didn't help made it worse unless you were always drunk " Damon says softly before turning back to them smiling.
" That is very depressing. So what did Stefan tell you about your life ?" Caroline asks.
" Everything. How horrible I was to everyone, and how I fell for Elena. Which I don't get " Damon explains.
" I'm going to get more blood bags " Stefan says leaving and Damon watches him go.
" You fell for her because she reminded you of Katherine in looks. But she wasn't evil and she was so different from Katherine. You also wanted to make Stefan's life a living hell so it was just an added bonus. " Caroline explains. They walk around the park arms linked just chatting with one another.
" So I spent my entire vampire life tormenting my little brother over the death of a woman who I knew wasn't dead " Damon says shaking his head.
" Yep seems kind of silly if you think about it. I know Stefan is happy to have his big brother back " Caroline says.
" Stefan said that your emotions get enhanced but from what I have heard I changed a lot. I have always been free-spirited and impulsive. But Stefan is my entire world I was fighting for him to keep our town safe from invasion. And in all honesty I have never been a fan of brunettes " Damon explains.
" Well you were kind of an asshole but there were moments when you would seem human. Never with Elena in fact you lied to yourself said she made you human. I have never seen you more miserable then when you were with her. " Caroline admits.
" Did you ever see me human?" he asks teasingly.
" A little I think. Correct me if I'm wrong, your favorite color is midnight purple " Caroline says.
" That is correct " Damon smirks. " What is your favorite color?" Damon asks and they sit on a bench.
" Yellow " she replies.
" I think you would look good in yellow. It would point out clearly that your the sunshine in the room " Damon decides and Caroline smiles feeling heat rush to her cheeks.
" Thanks " she says after a minute. They watch the sun go down and she lays her head on his shoulder. For about another hour they chat about things that have happened in the world. She explains a selfie and they take way too many. He talks about growing up in 1800s and notes how he prefers blondes. Soon they get tired and hungry. Caroline shows him how to snatch,feed, erase. The man makes it out alive and they go back to the boarding house.
" Yes the worst memory I had of our horrible relationship was you making me go do the dishes. " Caroline repeats.
" Out of everything I did " Damon says shaking his head.
" Hey it was totally sexist and Stefan let you so that sucked to " Caroline admits and Stefan comes around the corner.
" Sorry " Stefan says while looking at his brother.
" Goodnight Caroline I hope to see you soon " Damon bids goodnight to her kissing her hand. She kisses his cheek and leaves the house.
" You two seemed close " Stefan observes.
" As I thought this whole I do not care act needs to stop now. " Damon instructs his eyes hardening.
" It doesn't work like that brother " Stefan responds looking down.
" Still a horrible liar. Stefan you do not have to pretend around me. I am not the Damon you have been forced to be with for the last 160 years. I am so sorry for the way I treated you. I can not imagine a woman that important. So with the memories I have now remember you are my everything " Damon reveals knowing holding out would not benefit his little brother.
" I know that, Damy " Stefan teases. Damon smiles at his little brother and pulls him into a hug. Stefan sighs and relaxes into the hug. He wraps his arms around Damon's waist and rests his head on Damon's chest. They stay like this for a little while, Damon running his hand through Stefan's hair as they both stand in the front of their house. They end up in Damon's room and he sorts through his things while Stefan explains some of it. As the sky gets darker they both fall asleep on Damon's bed.
Tada hope you enjoyed the first chapter. Kol's storyline is going to take a different turn so this is sort of the prologue. Be looking out for that other story.