**A/N: Thanks to everyone who has viewed so far! As you may have noticed, I changed the title – this one felt better :) Please leave reviews, I'd love to see what you think!**

I wasn't sure what to think on the car ride home with Stefan from the bonfire. The last thing I expected was for Caroline Forbes to be right. Stefan was a genuinely great guy, and besides the annoying, creepy older brother there didn't seem to be much not to like about the guy. Still, something didn't feel exactly right. I chalked it up to the obvious and decided to stop thinking about it for now. I had made a new friend, someone who I could start over with and for some reason, that was far more comforting to me than any of my old friend's had felt lately. He dropped me off in my driveway where I was greeted by Jenna in a robe, pacing.

"Elena for god's sake! First Jeremy, now you? Do you know what time it is! Jeremy was even home an hour ago!"

I leaned down into the car. "Bye Stefan," I whispered. "Thank you." and for some reason, I think we both knew that meant for more than just the ride home.

"I told you where I was going, Jenna. I'm fine," I offered, watching Stefan back out of the driveway and drive down the road.

"You could have called. Have you... have you been drinking?" She stared at me wide-eyed. Suddenly, she burst out into laughter. "You're a normal teenager again! Do you know how long I've waited for this moment?" She cried out, hugging me tightly.

"Um… It won't happen again?" I smiled and we went inside.

...

"Stefan!" Damon called out from his bed, pulling the covers over his face to shield the sun from his aching eyes.

Stefan appeared in the doorway a few minutes later, throwing a water and a bottle of pain pills onto Damon's bed. This wasn't his first rodeo, and he knew if he were going to get any peace and quiet today he better start with the remedy.

"I need you to take Caroline's car back." he mumbled from under the covers, pointing to the keys on the night stand.

"You're kidding, right?" He laughed.

"Do I sound like I'm kidding? I can't see her again, asshole. Just do it. Go away."

"Wow, and I'm the asshole..." Stefan sauntered over to the night stand, grabbed the keys loudly and slammed the door on the way out. As much as he hated to admit it, he was actually overwhelmed with relief that his brother was back to his old ways. The only thing that worried him more than wild Damon was depressed Damon.

Downstairs, he tossed the keys in the air for about thirty minutes, staring at his cell phone. He knew that the only way he could get Caroline's car to her house was to have Elena meet him there so he could get a ride home. He didn't know anyone elses number. For some reason, he felt that seeing her today would be different than last night. That all the strange feelings they both had wouldn't be disguised as easily in the light of day, when the two of them were alone.

Realizing how stupid he was being, he picked up his phone and called her. She answered on the third ring, sounding as surprised as he felt to be calling her this soon.

"Elena, hi. It's Stefan. From last night." He hit himself in the forehead. How many other Stefan's did she know?

"Hi." She said quietly.

He explained the situation and she agreed to meet him at Caroline's to give him a ride home. An hour later, he was pulling into Caroline's driveway after using the "home" navigation on the GPS in her car. Elena was already there, leaning on the side of her car with Caroline in her arms. Caroline was crying, and Stefan instantly wanted to turn around and go back. Knowing that wasn't an option, he slowed the car to a stop and got out. He wanted to make this as quick as possible.

As soon as he approached, Caroline pulled away from Elena and shot Stefan an evil glare. "Your brother is an asshole!" She sobbed. Stefan recalled the night's events, and he had to admit - though his brother was an asshole, she didn't seem too unwilling to get into the car with him.

"Sorry," he mumbled, not for the first time at his brother's expense.

"Not your fault," Elena interrupted, putting a hand on Caroline's shoulder. She pulled her in for another hug and said, "You're going to be fine, I promise. You never have to see him again." Caroline nodded and they said their goodbyes. After thanking Stefan, Caroline took her keys and disappeared inside.

Stefan was right. This was awkward.

"Should we go?" Elena asked quietly, avoiding eye contact.

The drive was mostly silent, except for Stefan's directions. When they were about a mile from the house, he realized this would be his only chance before school started to talk to her again. "Elena," he began nervously, "I know this is strange for you. It's weird for me too."

"Weird?" She smiled. That's not exactly the word she would use. Confusing, maybe. Bizarre, definitely.

"Sorry," he sighed. "Elena, can I see again?" he blurted out.

"Um," she stammered. She was taken aback by the suddenness of his advance, and she hadn't prepared a response. Before she fully thought out her answer, she agreed. "Sure. You have my number, just call me." She smiled awkwardly, and the Salvatore estate came into view around the corner.

He was silent as they pulled into the driveway, but a smile lit up his face. He felt like an idiot, but he was hopeful. As he pulled the handle to open the door, he saw his brother sitting on the front porch, sunglasses on. Sweat pants, no shirt. Of course. He sighed.

Damon stood up and approached the car. Stefan thanked Elena, said he would call her and tried to rush to close the door. "Hey, wait." Damon yelled. With another sigh, Stefan held the door open.

"Elena, right?" Damon asked with his famous lady-charmer smile, leaning into the passenger seat.

"Yes. Damon." She shot him the fakest smile she could muster, and was sure he knew why.

"I haven't formally introduced myself," he continued, ignoring her sarcasm. "My name is Damon, I'm Stefan's big brother. It was a pleasure meeting you last night. I would apologize for any… inconvenience I may have caused, but I feel it would do no good. I'm sure I'll be seeing you around, and I hope to make it up to you and your friend."

"I'm sure." She smiled again, hoping he would take the hint and close the door.

He did, and he waved as she backed away.

"What are you doing?" Stefan asked, not sure he wanted to know the answer.

"What, did I miss the part where you called dibs?" Damon patted Stefan's shoulder as they walked into the house.

"Damon, no." Stefan stopped and stared at him. "You can't just do what you do to every teenage girl in this town. They'll chase us out of here before we've even unpacked. And yes. Dibs." He shoved Damon's arm away and sped up to enter the house.

Damon laughed behind him. "Don't worry. I don't do brunettes." He called after him, and turned to watch her drive around the corner. As much as he hated to admit it, there was something about her that he was insanely attracted to; from the moment he laid eyes on her in all her distress at the police station. He had never seen anyone look so defeated by emotion, and he felt that he maybe had met the one person who might actually understand what he had been through. He also knew from the instant he saw the way Stefan looked at her that night that Stefan was hooked, line and sinker for this girl and he would have to be careful. Over the past few years he had stolen a love interest or two from Stefan at the bars he would take him to, but in his mind he was only saving Stefan from all the hurt that would eventually follow. He knew this time it would be different, but he didn't yet know how.

...

"Dad..." Damon had a question in his mind ever since he had left the house with his father, fishing pole in tow. He had never gone fishing with his father. In fact, he had never spent as much time with his father in his life as he had this week alone. Something was different, but he couldn't place just what it was.

"Yeah, son?" Damon's dad looked at him through clouded eyes, never really smiling but trying. They were under the Wickery Bridge, fishing off of the bank. It was a hot day, and he had a lot on his mind. He had to spend every second he could with his boy, and he knew he would have to tell him why eventually. He just wasn't quite ready yet.

"Why are we doing all these new things this week? You took me shooting, you showed me where the-"

"Ah ah, Damon. What did I tell you? No one knows about that, not even your mother. That's our little secret."

"Right. And now fishing? Why? What's going on?" He finished, still not quite understanding the sudden secrecy.

"There just comes a time in a boy's life, son, when he needs to learn how to do things for himself. I won't always be around, you know. You might have to take care of your mother and your baby brother one day."

That's the answer Damon was afraid of. Something was going on with his dad, something bad. He became silent. He knew there were no fish here, and he knew he would never need to catch fish to feed his family. His dad showing this much concern for spending time with his son was the most worrisome of all, especially considering all the hours Damon had spent alone with his mother the past 10 years. Now he had to share her with Stefan, and he resented him for that. But the thought that he might be the man of the family one day empowered him, and he sat alone in his thoughts of hunting, fishing and taking care of business.

"Will you promise me something else, Dae." His dad asked quietly.

Damon became very nervous. His father was a strong, powerful man and he had never needed Damon before. He wanted to believe that whatever was going on, his dad could still get along just fine and life would go on just like normal. He didn't want to promise him anything, because it wouldn't matter. Just like he would never need to know about the place in the crawl space of his parent's closet, under the floorboard that his dad had showed him this week. "Okay." he said quietly.

"If anything were to ever happen...to me..." he trailed off.

"Shut up, dad." Damon punched his dad's arm. And although he acted playful, he meant it. He didn't want to have this conversation. He was only 10.

"You promise me you'll take care of them." His dad finished. It was more a statement, not a question. Damon just nodded slightly. He wasn't even sure his dad saw him, but he knew he didn't need to.

Another week passed. With each day, Damon's dad grew increasingly more emotional with his family, and increasingly more suspicious when he left the house. It got to the point where he didn't leave the house for two days straight. He just looked out the front window, pacing back and forth, and talking in hushed tones on the telephone.

When his dad wasn't pacing the floor, he was fighting with his mom. He had been acting strange ever since returning from his last business trip, and she suspected infidelity. The fighting the past few days had gotten out of control, and it was all Damon could do to calm his brother when he started crying every time the raised voices began. On Friday, he became so fed up with the yelling that he vowed to make it stop. After rocking Stefan to sleep in his arms during the afternoon, he ran downstairs and put on a smile.

"Daddy, can we go fishing again?" He already had his fishing pole in his hand, a hat on his head and his mud shoes on his feet.

"Yes, Damon but not today." His dad answered, turning away from the window to look at his son. When he saw him standing there, decked out in his gear his face fell. Damon quickly willed tears into his eyes, letting one slide down his cheek. "Okay, son. One hour. Let's go." He grabbed his jacket and they got in the car. Damon felt accomplished, knowing that for at least one hour he and his dad had escaped, and his mother and his brother would have quiet in the house.

They arrived at the shoulder to park the car and began the short hike to the bridge. After half an hour, Damon had cast his pole and his dad was standing behind him near the edge of the woods, hands in his pockets. He tensed at every car that drove by.

Damon had had enough. He dropped his pole, turned around and stared at his dad with the most serious expression he could muster. "Dad." He demanded. "What in the hell is going on?" He had never said that word before for fear that his dad would have his ass if he did. Today, he couldn't care less.

"Damon…"His dad began, then the color fell from his face. He was looking up at the bridge as a black car began to cross. "Damon! Go in the woods. Go now!" He screamed, and Damon saw his dad pull a gun out from under his shirt that he never knew his father had even owned.

Damon looked back at the car, slowing as it approached. He didn't understand what was going on, but he ran as fast as his legs would carry him into the woods. There was a moment when he thought, 'What am I doing? I can be a man, I can help.' But he just kept running.

Less than a minute later, he heard the gunshots. The strangest thing about all the emotions he felt at that moment was that he was never once surprised. He just kept running, crying harder and harder with every step. He emerged after what felt like hours in the middle of the road. He wasn't sure where he was, but he fell to his knees in the middle of the street. A car approached and slowed; when the concerned citizen got out to help the boy, all he could do was cry.