This chapter is super short, but it's just a filler chapter leading up to the next one.

Next on: Damon's family arrives and everyone deals with the return of Caroline Forbes

Stefan's POV

Damon's life has always been an ironic twist of fate.

As a human, he had never been satisfied. He had always wanted something he didn't have; Katherine, his father's affection, his mother back, and then finally Elena. He had wanted more from life than the obligations he was forced into. His father had said that it was the eldest Salvatore's job to fight in the war, but Damon who loved everything so passionately, didn't believe in fighting purposeless wars. He didn't understand the point in fighting a war without cause, not when there was so much joy in the world around him.

As a vampire, Damon shut off his emotions. He decided that it was too painful to feel the constant loss of his humanity. Instead, he flipped the switch and felt nothing at all. His existence became about two distinct pleasures; blood and torturing his brother.

As a human, Stefan lived his life in quiet obligations. His father insisted on Stefan growing up as a gentlemen and that is what Stefan grew up to be. His only true rebellion against his father's rules was Katherine. Stefan had believed she was worth it. Other than Katherine, Stefan lived a contained and patient life. Where Damon may solve problems with instinct, Stefan solved them with brilliantly executed plans. Stefan was the polite, controlled human who turned into the wild, uncontrollable vampire. Ripper Stefan they called him. He ripped into his victims, tore into them until only bits and pieces remained.

The years had changed both brothers for the best. Stefan had met Elena, who strangely enough looked exactly like Katherine, but had the exact opposite temperament, and Damon had turned his emotions on long enough to fall in love with a human, and father a child.

Now, Damon lay human, but dying in the hospital bed and Stefan knew of only one way he could save him, turn him back into a vampire. Stefan felt like everyone was waiting for him to make some sort of decision. Elena and Bonnie came in to the room every twenty minutes and he just knew that they were pacing out in the hallway. Not to mention that Damon's family would be arriving soon and they would be completely devastated to find him in such a state.

With one final deep breath, Stefan made the same decision he had made years ago.

"You should have this before I kill you," Stefan says and slips Damon's ring that he's been fidgeting with onto his ring finger. He bites into his wrist and brings the bloody appendage to Damon's lips, but as he does so he sees that his brother's skin is returning to his normal pinkish color and that some of the scrapes on Damon's face are rapidly healing.