A/N- Here goes the second chapter... This one took long I know, I got halfway through and was stumped... But it's done now so please let me know what you'll all think, I was pleasantly surprised by the response for this Fic, more than 20 reviews for just the prologue made me very happy! And I write when I'm happy so you know what to do... wink! REVIEW tc...

Chapter 2

Damon stood frozen in his spot as the words slowly sunk in, did Ric just say sex? He thought... with Caroline? No it couldn't be... they wouldn't do something like that especially Caroline. He wouldn't put it past Ric, he clearly remembered the teacher telling him off for stringing along the blonde and he thought he saw a slight jealously in his friends face... but she would never do that, she was the model girlfriend's for fuck's sake. But then again, he knew what he heard and was it really that hard to believe that she had finally had enough, that is what Ric had said...'she's done with you'. No he thought teach must have seduced her... god knows the girl's easy.

"Damon why are you standing like that?" Stefan said looking at his brother curiously. And that's when Damon realized he was literally frozen in place, so consumed by his thoughts that his hand with his cell was still by his ear and his other hand was clenched into a fist... the remnants of his shattered glass lying on the floor.

"And what's with the broken glass?" Elena said as she walked back into the living room from the terrace, where her and Stefan had been admiring the view. He remembered her saying something about how beautiful Lisbon is before he had called Alaric.

"Uh... I called Ric and Uhm" Damon stuttered not sure whether to tell or not, hell here was a chance to get some sympathy from Elena "And I'm just shocked" he added stepping outside the broken mess and poured himself another drink and turned to give his brother and his girlfriend the best sad Damon face he could.

"What... why what happened Damon?" Elena asked concerned and Stefan rolled his eyes. Damon had to control himself from smirking, Elena might have believed the poker face but his brother knew him too well to not know that Damon was acting

"I hadn't seen Caroline in days and I thought to ask Ric... you know coz they seemed to be friendly these days... and" he sighed deeply and tried to contort his face in as much pain as possible before continuing "Turns out Ric and Caroline are together... she cheated on me"

Elena gasped in shock and clasped a hand to her mouth and Stefan forehead clenched even harder and he seem worried... when was he not worried

"Oh my god... I can't believe it" Elena exclaimed and Damon nodded along with her

"What do you mean cheated Damon?" Stefan asked skeptically, Caroline was his best friend and he was sure she was in love with Damon... this didn't make sense

"As in had sex... fucked her brains out, that kind of thing. She had Ric break up with me for her" Damon snapped back annoyed. And as he said those words an image formed in his head... a vile, disgusting demonic image and he felt the monster stir inside his soul. It was not happy, it was not pleased, it was looking for blood, for an outlet to vent all its growing uneasiness at said image. He wanted to let it out and ravage anything and everything in sight until he could get that picture out of his head... anything anything to never have to see that again. He was annoyed at what he knew had happened, but he was annoyed at the fact that he cared so much about what had happened... this didn't make the monster any happier... Stefan's voice snapped him back to reality but he could still see it... so clearly... too clearly...

"You bastard" Stefan seethed and literally had to control himself from hitting his brother

"Stefan" Elena said angrily "How is this Damon's fault"

"Everything bad in Caroline's life is Damon's fault... at least she learned faster this time" Stefan said taking another step closer to Damon

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"That she had the guts to get out before you broke her completely... again" he hissed as he turned to look at Elena "This sad act is just for your benefit, he's treating you like an idiot... don't prove him right Elena." He added as he whipped around and started to walk towards the exit door of their joint apartment

"Where are you going?" Elena screeched

"I'm going to call Ric and see how Caroline's doing" he answered and was already out the door before Elena could say anything... let Damon handle the screeching for once Stefan thought

"Ric! Thank god you picked up. I didn't think you would. How's Caroline?" Stefan said as he sat in his car and called Ric the first thing

"Hey... we're just on our way to the beach" Ric said

"Beach... which beach where are you two? Damon told us what happened?" Stefan asked and Ric could tell he was genuinely concerned about Caroline

"We're in Madeira. Why what's wrong?"

"No... I just wanted to check up on how's Caroline's doing?"

"You're not mad at her?"

"It's literally impossible to be mad at that girl" Stefan said and he could hear Ric laughing and repeating the same to Caroline "And only Damon is to blame here" he added and he could practically see Ric nodding

"Here talk to Caroline " Ric said

"Hey Stef... how's it going?" she said

Stefan could tell she sounded different, there were traces guilt that were never there before but also... she didn't sound as sad as she had for the past six months. "I'm bored without you here" he replied purposely not saying anything about Damon, there really was nothing to say

"Liar" she said mischievously

"No really I don't think I've smiled in 4 days" he said laughing, realizing how sad but true that was

She was silent for a second, and he heard her whispering something to Ric but it was soft even with his vampire hearing Stefan couldn't hear anything

"Well why don't you come here then?" she finally said

"Really? You guys wouldn't mind that?" he asked surprised. He really wanted to go, but didn't think that would be okay

"Of course not. You think that would be okay with Elena though" she added and he could hear the sadness in her tone

"Elena's not my boss... and I want to come, but you realize then Elena and Damon will be alone" he said cautiously

"I don't care" she replied instantly and it was almost 70% true and this impressed Stefan, maybe Ric was good for her after all

"Then I'll be there in a couple of hours" he stated and she squealed and Ric laughed... no doubt at her. Stefan disconnected a call took a long breath and started to drive, the thought that he had left his girlfriend alone with his brother only crossed his mind for Caroline's sake... that was not a good thing... not a good thing at all

"Are you okay Damon?" Elena asked, her big brown eyes boring into him

"Yeah I guess I'm fine..." he said confused, he was saying it, he knew he should be feeling it... then why did he have this relentless burning sensation in his stomach

"I'm sorry but I told you this would happen" Elena said softly and Damon was so engrossed in his thoughts that it didn't even register with him that she was talking to him

"Huh... what?" he said dazed

"I said I told you this would happen Damon... Caroline is just the kind of person who cheats" she said matter of factly

"Yeah" he said absent-mindedly. No wait... what did she say, she's judging Caroline for cheating... when she kissed me... twice, while dating my brother. "No wait Elena what do you mean?"

"Listen I've known Caroline since we were little" Elena defended she could see the sudden change in Damon's attitude "She's always tries to grab attention by doing things like this... she probably hopes that you will go running to take her back or something..." she finished lamely and she was thinking why Damon was acting so weird. 10 minutes back he didn't give a crap about what had happened but now he looked so torn and confused

"Yeah well good luck with that..." he snorted but stopped speaking when his phone started to buzz and zoomed over to it and flipped it open

"Don't answer if it's Caroline" Elena said immediately and Damon glared at her unexpectedly

"It's a message from Stefan" he said and his eyes suddenly darkened and his jaw clenched angrily when he read the message

Going to Madeira to see Caroline and Ric... Don't know when we'll be back. Tell Elena. ;-)

That fucking git send me... Damon Salvatore a smiley... his nerve. And why the hell is he going to see my girlfriend... He thought Wait... she broke up with me... damnit!

"Damon what's wrong what did Stefan say" Elena said and she was actually scared... she hadn't seen Damon this angry in a long time

"He went to... to Madeira" he said through clenched teeth

"What and he just left me here?" Elena said already crying and Damon sighed audibly

"Leave me alone Elena... please just go." He yelled angrily and she didn't need to told twice, he was scaring her he knew but he just couldn't understand why the hell he was so damn angry

This was the golden chance he had been waiting for, St. Stefan had decided to leave his girlfriend all alone and Damon could play the perfect poor heartbroken guy and get on the good side of Elena like he had been trying to for so long... but then why... why could he think of nothing else but Caroline and Ric... his friend, all wrapped around each other in some godforsaken hotel. No he wasn't supposed to care... he wasn't supposed to be jealous and he definitely was not supposed to feel anything, yet at this moment he felt... well pretty much everything possible and damn it hurt.

By the time Stefan reached Madeira it was afternoon and everyone was leaving the beach, but he knew Caroline wouldn't leave. It was too hot for the normal humans but vampires weren't affected by it one bit, and he knew how much Caroline loved the water. He just felt a little sorry for Ric. He compelled a room for himself and then headed to the beach, and he heard her before he saw her. That laugh was the most unique thing about her, it could make anyone forget their problems and laugh with her. He spotted her and Ric in the water... and she was actually having fun squealing happily and splashing water like a little girl and Stefan thought it would be weird to see her and Ric like this, in a non friend way but it really wasn't. Ric didn't really fit the typical history teacher status, he was way more fun especially since they had moved to Portugal... and Stefan had always known that Ric had liked Caroline a little bit more than friend. They looked like any other normal couple on the beach, Ric didn't really look like a 30 year old guy in his trunks and surprisingly Caroline didn't look like a 20 year old in her purple polka dot bikini either.

Caroline turned around in the middle of splashing Ric with water, no doubt when she smelled Stefan and smiled happily and started running towards him

"Don't jump on me Care... I don't have any more clothes" Stefan warned, not that she listened to him not that he expected her to and gave him a big bear hug wetting all his clothes.

"We'll buy you new one's" she giggles from the crook of his neck "I'm so glad you came"

"How fast did you drive?" Ric asked suspiciously

"Vampire reflexes Ric, don't worry I didn't kill anyone. How are you not toasting?" Stefan added looking at Ric noticing the fact that he wasn't wincing in pain at the hot sand like every other human around them

"I had some of Caroline's blood" he replied laughing and Stefan was stunned

"Let's go swimming" Caroline said excitedly clapping her hands and Ric groaned

"Human here Caroline" he said pointing at himself and plopping down onto the beach towel and made himself comfortable "I'm done... or I won't have energy for anything later on" he said wiggling his brows and Caroline giggled shyly and Stefan screwed up his face in such a way that it made him look 40 years old

"Ok fine Stefan will come with me then... oh don't give me that look Stefan, you can buy clothes from the hotel boutique... now chop chop" she said threateningly and he obliged by taking off his shirt and pants down to his boxers, he was sure if he didn't do it she would undress him herself. She turned and looked at Ric and said concerned and confused "You won't toast right?"

"No... If I feel toasty I'll go inside" he replied laughing heartily

"You're making fun of me aren't you?" she asked putting her hands on her hips looking like an old southern woman and Ric and Stefan both burst out laughing which did nothing to calm her anger and she screamed 'screw you both' and zooped into the water at vampire speed and that just made the both of them laugh even harder.

"Wait for me drama queen" Stefan yelled when they were done laughing and ran towards the water where a very angry Caroline awaited

"Yes Damon" Ric said airily as he finally answered the call.

Damon had called non-stop for 10 minutes thinking that if he was persistent Ric would eventually pick up, which he did.

"So you don't even like me anymore" came back the witty reply

"I never really liked you Damon" Ric lied "You were just a drinking buddy"

"hmmm"

"What hmmm" Ric said annoyed. Had he just called him for childish nonsense

"Oh nothing... I was just thinking how smoking Barbie is looking in that purple bikini" Damon smirked

"Yeah... wait... what the he... you're here aren't you?" Ric said through clenched teeth

"I must say teach you have been hiding those abs behind that terrible cliché teacher attire of yours."

"What are you doing here Damon?" Ric demanded as soon as he reached the hotel lobby and saw Damon standing by one of the window's looking outside

"I'm enjoying the view" Damon smirked and Ric followed his gaze out to where they could see Caroline and Stefan playing in the water blissfully unaware

"Why are you here?" Ric repeated

"I don't react well to people who take what's mine teach" he threatened turning to look at him not and his eyes were darkening, his face close to changing to its true form

"I'm not afraid of you and she's not some property you own" Ric countered back stepping closer to Damon

"Yes she is and you aren't going to take her" Damon said stepping right in front of Ric "Do you know how easy it would be for me to kill you now"

"If you keep saying 'I can kill you' every day it's going to lose its effect eventually" Stefan said as he and Caroline walked into the lobby. They had heard Damon, and Stefan wanted to come check on them, he didn't tell Caroline why but he was afraid Damon might lose it. Ric and Damon both snapped their heads to look at them and Ric groaned in frustration whereas Damon gave Caroline a slight smile and a hateful glare to his brother.

"What are you doing here Damon" Caroline asked curiously

"We need to talk Barbie" he replied

"She doesn't want to talk to you" Ric said angrily and looked at Caroline expectantly "Caroline?" he added softly

"What do you want to talk about Damon" she asked her voice hoarse and Ric and Damon groaned at the same time, they could tell she was about to cry. It made Damon angry that Ric could tell that and Ric was surprised that Damon even recognized that.

"Things that I won't talk about in front of teach" he replied scoffing at his friend

"Caroline just go upstairs... I'll deal with Damon" Ric sighed

"I know you're much older than her but you're not her father" Damon smirked at him and turned to Caroline his face turning soft immediately "Will you please just talk to me Caroline"

"I-I... not now Damon" she said determinedly

"Fine I'll wait" he shrugged

"Why don't you go back to Lisbon. You can talk when I come back"

"No I'm not leaving you here" he simply said

Stefan sighed audibly, he found it hard to believe that Damon just wanted to talk to Caroline, Damon was not the calm and collected type. Stefan decided to stick as close to Ric as possible in case Damon decided to go all vampire ninja on him... after all he came all the way over here, after he knew what had happened and that Stefan had left... and even though he had Elena all to himself... wait... Elena

"You left Elena alone?" Stefan said suddenly and Damon looked at him puzzled

"Uhmm she's not a child and she's not my responsibility" Damon said "She's your girlfriend not mine" he added with a smile

Caroline was looking at him weirdly and he knew why, she didn't expect that he would leave a chance to have Elena alone to come after her... he didn't quite believe it either. But before he knew what he was doing, he was already in the car driving with only thought in his head... he needed to talk to Caroline just one time

"I'm gonna go upstairs" Caroline said finally stuttering a little and clutched the towel closer to herself and started walking away and turned to see Ric glaring at Damon "Aren't you coming" she added giving a warning glare to Ric

He shrugged narrowed his eyes at Damon and followed her, but not before he saw Damon take a small step forward and he couldn't help but smile. When he saw the rage in Damon's face he knew he was right... for a second there Damon had thought Caroline was talking to him

Damon watched silently as they both walked towards the elevator, aware that his brother was staring at him. it had taken a lot of self-control to not snap at Ric... well what had he expected Caroline would beg for his forgiveness and wallow at his feet, well that would have made him happy... but that wouldn't be the Caroline he liked... wait he liked Caroline?

"I know I'm pretty Stefan, but please don't stare" he snapped irately

"Why did you leave Elena?" Stefan asked again

"Is there something wrong with your hearing?" Damon said turning to look at him

"Why are you here really Damon"

"I told you I want to talk to Barbie" Damon shrugged "Now since you're here make yourself useful... do you know which room they are staying in?" he added thoughtfully walking towards the reception counter

"Why?" Stefan asked skeptically

"So I can compel the room next to them" Damon said waving his hand at Stefan

"Why would you want to do that?"

"So I can interrupt them every time they try to have sex... Duh!"

"Damon Caroline broke up with you... Ric is good for her, I can see that and you..." Stefan started

"First of all... Ric broke up with me and not Caroline, and since I don't care what Ric says it doesn't count" Damon said "Secondly, I don't care if Ric is good for her, she's my girlfriend and I'm not a generous person"

"Damon you were using Caroline to while your time... don't hurt her more and just leave, you can always find some other girl" Stefan said angrily

"Well of course I can" Damon said smugly "But I want Barbie... and Ric is really ruining my buzz"

"So you just want Caroline when she decided to not want you anymore..." Stefan asked

Damon rolled his eyes and did his typical eyebrow wiggly thing and said "Whatever" though he looked like he was thinking a lot more than 'whatever'

"Damon... do you actually like Caroline" Stefan said slowly almost afraid of the answer

"Well of course I like her. I've been banging her for 6 months haven't I?"

"Damon! You know what I mean" Stefan warned

"Ah!" Damon sighed and turned to look towards the water again deep in thought "When was the last time you were happy Stefan... and I mean truly happy"

Stefan was surprised and answered after thinking for a while "When Lexi came to mystic falls... before you killed her that is" Damon rolled his eyes to that "What about you Damon?"

"Apart from when we were human, it was the day when Caroline said she loved me in her sleep" Damon said "And that same day Elena kissed me" he added deciding to finally tell Stefan and was shocked when Stefan nodded

"You knew?" Damon asked

"Not that she kissed you that day, but it doesn't surprise me" Stefan said sadly "What happened then"

"That day I went and told Caroline that I would always love Elena, and that she shouldn't hope for more... I-I think that's when she went to Ric" he added and Stefan could see the frustration on his face, frustration not on Ric or Caroline but on himself

"Why did you say that Damon... you know it's not true" Stefan said slowly

"I don't know" Damon said angrily banging his hand on the counter causing people to look at them "I didn't meant it, I really didn't... I've just wanted Elena for so long that... and I'm gonna kill teach for taking advantage of her"

"You broke her heart Damon" Stefan snapped "Twice... she gets to mend it the way she wants, and Ric cares about her we both know that"

"Whatever... I did this Stefan" Damon said sadly "I drove her straight to Ric and now I just have to fix it"

"Just because she loves you still doesn't mean you deserve her"

"That's for her to decide" Damon warned "But... will you help me Stefan? You're her best friend" Damon added extremely uncomfortable asking help from his brother

"If you're gonna be the jerk and hurt her again... no I won't so don't ask again"

"Then I'll just have to prove to you that I won't hurt her now won't I" Damon said simply and Stefan smiled and nodded at walked away... he liked this new attitude to Damon

Damon compelled the desk girl to give him the room Caroline and Ric were staying in and compelled himself the room next to them and went to the bar for his drink, even though it was mid afternoon... but hey he's Damon Salvatore if he doesn't drink then something is wrong. He knew he needed to make some drastic changes if he had to make Caroline believe him again, he wasn't planning on making this trip a typical Hollywood romance. He just wanted to let her know that for the first time ever, he really was sorry and realizing that she had left him showed him how he really felt. When he thought of Ric and her together he would be reeling in anger... he didn't have that affect when he saw Stefan kiss Elena anymore, he never realized it but somehow being a dick to Caroline and having her be nothing more than her usual lovable self to him, had made him get over Elena and somehow along the way develop something for Caroline ... he didn't quite know what that something was, but he knew for sure he wasn't giving her up to Ric or no one else for that matter. It would be hard that too he knew... he knew he needed help and there was only person who could help him. He really did not want to ask that person... then he reminded himself it was for Caroline and sighed and dialed the number

"What do you want Damon"

"Hello to you too! I need help" he grumbled

"Why would I ever help you?"

"Because it's for Caroline" he said simply and smiled the person across the phone sighed. Damon had won... which he did almost always. And he definitely did not plan on losing this time.