Damon's POV

I'm rushing towards the the Fells house since it's almost dark outside and I've left Stefan there for too long. I'm beyond pissed off that I got myself detention today and had to stay hours after the classes were over. Thanks God that Fletcher was good enough to take care of my brother, because I had no idea how long he would've had to wait for me alone in the school hallway, wondering where I am. I was practically running by now, even though there was no point in hurrying at all, I just wanted to see him so that he wouldn't be scared that I would leave him alone. Once when there was no one to pick him up again he stayed outside on the benches in the school yard, cried silently and eventually fell asleep, until one of the teachers found him and took care of him. Ever since mother died he was afraid that someone else will leave him like she did and it drove him to an edge-he became desperately silent. I was hoping that now that he was with Simon they would be playing so he wouldn't be upset and as I approached their house I realized that for the first time in a very long period I might actually be right, since I could hear their loud screams from the inside-they were having fun, and probably driving the whole house insane. I knocked on the door harshly, feeling a little bit more relaxed and waited patiently until Fletcher opened the door and smiled at me.

"Hey, Damon." he was always so good with other people. I think him and Simon were very much alike-they were good and kind-hearted. Fletcher was always willing to help people, he was always giving up things for the other members of this family and he cared so much about Simon that it hurt. I honestly envied him a bit for handling Simon so well. I had problems with Stefan sometimes, it was hard to make him talk or to figure out what he was hiding or what was torturing him, Fletcher never had this problems, even though his youngest brother wasn't very talkative as well. Then again Fletcher was two years older than me, maybe he knew more about how to handle certain situations or maybe he was able to figure it out better than I do. Anyway, he wasn't struggling with that at all and I think he was a very good older brother. He could scold Simon without making him cry or feel bad, but like..making him understand that a certain thing shouldn't be done, while when I scolded Stefan he just bent his head down and wouldn't talk, because he thought he has done something completely wrong and needs to shit his mouth. That's why I was looking up to Fletcher in a certain way, even though I wasn't at all a person who likes to learn from other people-my pride was just too big. "Come on in!" he said friendly.

"No, I can't stay, we are too late anyway." I tried to decline his invitation

"Oh come on, just for a bit. I'll need your help tearing those two apart, they are turning the house upside down." he smiled and I entered unwillingly. The Fells weren't rich, but their house definitely looked better than ours. Fletchers clothes though were very old and shabby, probably belonging to one of his brothers, since they looked so worn out. He and his brothers tried to dress Simon good though, even if they looked as if they were homeless. It was important for them that he can at least appear nice and clean, since other kids were making fun of him all the time. Their parents, as far as I knew, worked most of the time. The eldest brother-Evan has started helping his father as well this year so he wasn't around much. I guess Fletcher was the one to take care of the gang when they were all home, which as I knew from personal experience, wasn't easy. We entered their living room and I saw my brother running up and down the room while Simon was trying to catch him-they were playing soldiers again. Stefan was smiling and that made me do the same. I noticed Fletcher's eyes on me.

"Thanks for today" I said silently

"It's not a problem, really. Your brother is a nice kid and easy to take care of." I nodded slowly. Stefan wasn't a troublesome boy. He was sometimes a little overexcited, but he didn't make stupid stuff, especially not when someone else was watching over him. I've told him before-that he should always behave outside the family, that he should act properly and I guess, he remembered that. "Why did you get detention?"

"I had a rough time with one of the Mikaelsons at P.E today. Did Simon tell you that the youngest one is teasing them?" I looked at him both with expectation and curiosity.

"No." he furrowed his eyebrows and his whole posture changed. He suddenly tensed "What happened?"

"I don't know the details. Stefan wasn't very willing to talk about it. I just thought it would be a good idea to remind them that they can't act like that with someone from my family."

We remained silent for a minute until Stefan finally noticed me and ran towards only to jump in my embrace.

"Daaaaamon!" he yelled out happily. "You came for me."

"Of course I came for you buddy. I will always come for you." he hugged me tight and then turned towards me with a pleading expression.

"Damy, can you buy me some candies on the way home?" my heart clenched for a moment. I didn't have a dime in my pocket. Lately we were pretty bad in the money department since aunt Sarah had more expenses this month and she was struggling when it came to giving us pocket money, which is why I didn't want to pressure her in any way. She bought us some clothes after all last week and she spent a lot on making sure we are both warm enough in the coldest days.

"No, Stefan, I don't have any money now. Plus you had candies last week, you shouldn't eat that much." I let him down on the ground and his disappointed look made me feel even worse. "Go get dressed, we're leaving." I instructed him and he went on to find his jacket. I noticed Fletcher's look back on me and I wished I could leave already since I was very embarrassed by what has just happened.

"I love to see my brother like this" Fletcher started speaking very silently, as if he wanted to make sure I was the only one to hear him, though the boys before us have lost themselves in their own world again "Happy." he simply said as if it was the word that made it all just fine. "His sight is getting worse with every year" he continued sounding more and more serious , I noticed Stefan holding his friend's hand and leading him to the couch, which made me swallow hard. "The doctors say he'll be completely blind before he even goes in his teenage years. So that's why I want to make sure he sees many things now so he could remember them, I want him to feel happy, to have what he craves for, to give him what I can. Me and my brothers-that's what we're trying to do. He never asks what's going on with him, but I think he feels it. Kids are smarter than we suppose, don't you think?" I nod slightly in agreement, this conversation is making me uncomfortably sad. "Simon really likes playing with Stefan." he added it as a statement, as if I didn't knew it already.

"Stefan surely likes it as well" I spoke up for my brother, to make sure Fletcher knows, that their friendship is mutual. I don't know why I had the desperate need inside me to assure him about that. My look fell back on the boys, who have finally calmed down and were peacefully watching TV on the couch. Stefan seemed sleepy, he was probably getting tired.

"Look, Damon." I turned back to Fletcher "Evan and me, we were supposed to go deal with some work this weekend at the Jim Anderson's farm, you know it right?"

"Yeah, it's outside town."

"Yeah. But Evan's has to work with dad so I still need a person to help me make some deliveries and chop some woods, stuff like that. What do you say? I'll give you half of what we're paid. "

"Really?" I asked in disbelieve. I liked Fletcher and we talked sometimes, but I never thought he would be willing to make me such a favor. Maybe he felt sorry for me, now that I've turned Stefan down about the candies, though I knew he wasn't the kind of person to pity another one. Whatever the reason was, I surely didn't plan to turn his offer down. "Okay then." I nodded and gave him a reassuring smile "I promise I'll do my best."

"I'm sure you will. If you have problems leaving Stefan to someone you can-"

"No, my aunt will take him." I interrupted him a bit too abruptly "She usually takes us to her house in the weekends anyway."

"Good. Then I'll see you tomorrow, here at eight ok?"

"Sure. Thanks a lot." he nodded understandingly and I called Stefan one more time. It took me a few minutes to get him ready. He was strangely silent again. Fletcher went to the kitchen for a moment and just as we were about to leave he leaned down to my brother and took a lollipop out of his back pocket.

"Here you go, Stefan" he stretched his big rough hand towards my brother, who hesitated before taking it and looked up for me, waiting for approval. Once I nodded in agreement he took the lollipop and held it tightly.

"Thanks, Fletcher." he spoke silently while Fletcher ruffled his hair playfully.

We walked slowly towards our house, Stefan was tired. He wouldn't ask me to carry him though, because he still remembers that mother used to say he's too old to be carried.

"Damy where were you today? Fletcher said you got detention." he finally spoke up after we've passed a few blocks.

"Yeah. I'm sorry about that, it won't happen again. I just had some troubles."

"Are you fine?" he asked, now sounding worriedly.

"I'm all good. Are you fine? Did you have fun with Simon?"

"Yeah, we had awesome time. Can we go out tomorrow so I can play with him in the park?"

"No, tomorrow I'm going to do some work with Fletcher. You'll stay with aunt Sarah." I had to break it to him, but it was better to do so now, instead to wake him up tomorrow and ruin his day from the beginning. At least now he could be prepared.

"And you won't be there?" he stopped and looked up at me with his big sad green eyes.

"No, I'll come back in the evening, when we're done."

"But I don't want you to go." he was stubbornly trying to persuade me now, even though he knew I won't bent. He hated staying at aunt Sarah because her daughters Emily and Jane were driving him insane. More like Emily because she liked to tease him while Jane was just a little baby girl-two years old, she couldn't really do anything to him…well except sometimes she pulled his hair, which I found awful.

"Stefan, come on now, don't act like a baby. I have to do this."

"But I thought you were gonna take me out! You promised me! We haven't been out in the park for a week!" he sounded as if he was about to start crying any minute now.

"Stefan, it's too cold outside anyway and you were coughing the previous night, I'm not taking you out. You need to stay inside." I really wasn't trying to console him with that, it was the truth, it's better to stay in now when it was so cold. Sometimes at night he's scaring the hell out of me when I can't calm his coughs. We weren't careful about him and I had this pit in my stomach that it would end up bad. I sure as hell wasn't up to watching him so sick as he was last winter.

He remained silent until we approached our door. He was angry with me, but I wasn't about to start trying to explain myself, if he was mad so be it, he is a kid and he can't understand my point now. Once he grows up, he hopefully will. I hated it when we were like that though, it made me sad to see him like this. The limp in my throat reminding me that I wasn't doing things right was growing bigger when we were on bad terms. I had a headache now though and I wanted to rest some since Alaric wanted me to pass by his house later.

Once we entered our small hallway I could tell aunt Sarah was here since it smelled like she's cooking, even though well…she was quite bad in it. I mean she had some nice meals, but in others she was a complete disaster.

We both entered inside and she greeted us with a big smile on her face. Stefan went by the table, silently opened his bag and took his crayons and notebooks out. He loved drawing.

"Stefan, you want some cereal, huh?" she asked and without even waiting for him to answer she put the bowl on the table. Surprisingly for me he left his crayons and started eating eagerly.

"Stefan, did you not eat at lunch again?" I asked with suspicion. I remember aunt Sarah giving him a sandwich.

"I diiiid." he answered and I knew he was lying because he always prolonged the words while doing so. I wasn't up to scolding him anymore though and left him be.

"You'll have to take him tomorrow" I turned to her "I have some stuff to do, I can't take care of him."

"What stuff?" she furrowed her eyebrows. She was afraid I would get into some kind of trouble again.

"I'm helping Fletcher Fell get a job done." her tensed posture relaxed and she looked at me with approval, which totally surprised me. She wasn't a person, who would praise me just like that, I guess she was in a good mood today. Father was nowhere to be seen, which meant that he's probably still at work or already in his favorite place, getting drunk.

"Stefan, come on you gotta read me some today as well.' she said and took the now empty bowl away. He looked at me, begging for help. She made him practice every day and even though he was silently agreeing to it and that he loved books, he wasn't up for it today.

"Aunt Sarah, it's Friday, let him be." I tried, but she just ignored me and put the book in front of my brother.

"I don't wanna read today" he spoke up for himself and gave her a pleading glance.

"Just a little and then I'm letting you go. " he let a deep sigh out once he realized he won't get away with it and then he bowed his head down to the book, trying to find the page he has last read from. I left the doors to the kitchen and our room open and lied down in my bed. I could hear him struggling to read and aunt Sarah scolding him impatiently. Eventually I drifted away, tired from the long day in school, hoping that tomorrow things will look somehow better.

Stefan's POV

I was glad that it was finally Sunday and that we were soon to get back home. My brother has left me alone here and the girls tortured me all Saturday long. At least their father took them away today so I could watch TV and draw in peace. I was so angry with Damon, I wanted to be with him, to go out with him and he said that we can't do that.

He got home late last night when I was already sleeping and then again when I woke up he was out again. I missed him, even when it was for a short period of time. Aunt Sarah was a bit tough with me yesterday, because I didn't want to eat at dinner since I wasn't hungry and that made her go insane. Sometimes she was like this, I think that the girls are giving her a hard time as well. It's not easy to raise girls…I think they talk too much. But then again Damon says I don't talk at all so maybe that's why I don't get them.

It was getting late in the afternoon and everyone were sleeping so I thought I could go out in the garden and have some fun outside. I put my jacket on, since Damon always reminded me to do that, and silently got outside. I liked playing in that backyard, though now there wasn't any snow, even though Christmas was approaching, which made me a bit sad.

Aunt Sarah had a dog-Martin, who was an Irish setter. He was really nice and I loved playing with him. They didn't keep him inside because Emily was a bit allergic to dogs and he was just so little that I felt bad for him being out in the open in that weather. Damon said that dogs are all fine outside and that they don't get sick like people, but I still felt bad for Martin. I don't think aunt Sarah wanted him in the first place. I think they gave him to her as a gift and she couldn't just refuse it or take it back so now she had to bear with him, just like she was bearing with me and Damon. She never really wanted more kids, but now she had to deal with us, even though I knew sometimes she hated it. Damon said she is just too tired sometimes, but I feel like we're bothering her and I wish I wouldn't be a problem for her, but since I'm little and has to be taken care of, I can't do anything to change that, not now. Damon could at least go and do whatever on earth he wants, while I have to stay inside and do as I'm told. And yet I do it, because I don't want to be a trouble to her.

"Heyyy, Martin. Good boy" I lean down and hug him. He's on a leash but he's happy to see me and he start jumping. Then he licks my cheek and that makes me laugh out loud. Martin is the only thing here that I like. He's such a good dog. I feel like him sometimes-I feel lonely.

I play with him some and let him off the leash. I know that if aunt Sarah sees me she'll be mad, which is why I try to make him hide his excitement.

"Shhh, Martin, they'll hear us!" I put my index finger on my mouth and he understands me because he stops barking. He's a smart boy. We run up and down the garden and I suddenly get scared when I hear someone's voice from the back porch.

"Stefan!" it's my brother. I can guess it's him even when I'm not looking in his direction. My heart starts beating fast, I know he would scold me again, which is why I don't rush to turn around. Martin figures something's wrong so he sits down next to me and gives my brother a regretful look. I finally turn around as well only to see him standing on the porch with his hands crossed on his chest.

Damon's POV

Stefan's looking at me confused. I don't get why he is afraid of me. I am mad that he's out, but then again I didn't know my presence could make him tense so much. He knows he's done something wrong and he's not making a single move. At first I was about to start argue with him, but when I saw his face I change my mind. I slowly approach him and lean down, so I could see him since he has bowed his head.

"Heyy, buddy! Won't you give me a hug?" I ask pleadingly now and he suddenly looks up only to stretch his hands towards me. He holds me tight and doesn't want to let go. The dog is happily jumping all around us and I figure that I have to put it back on the leash before aunt Sarah has figured out he's been playing with it.

"I'm glad you're back, Damon." he whispers in my ear as if he's embarrassed to say it out loud.

"I'm glad as well, buddy." I let him go before he could choke me to death. "What are you doing outside, huh? You shouldn't be playing with Martin."

"I'm sorry." he says, but he knows I'm not mad, I'm just reminding him. I tie the dog and we head back inside. Somehow he still seems sad to me and when we go back to his room I get something from my pocket.

"Look what I've bought you!" he looks up at me confused until he realizes what this is.

"You bought me crayons!" he jumps up, trying to catch them, but I held them above his head.

"What do you do first?" he stops jumping and scratches the back of his head.

"Say thank you?" he furrows his little eyebrows, still not sure what I'm expecting from him.

"Nope."

"Promise you to eat my dinner no matter what?"

"Nope, Stefan, not that."

"Uhm….I don't know, Damy. Should I like make you cereal every Saturday or something else?"

"No, dummy, you have to draw me something with them!" I say finally and he laughs out loud before he finally manages to get a hold of them. His grip is tight-he's scared not to lose them so he's holding them tight as if they are crucial for his way of living. And I guess in some way they are. I managed to get a relatively good amount of money from this job or whatever I should call it, with Fletcher. He was very nice with me and I think he gave me more than I was supposed to get. I tried to argue with him, but he just shoved the money in my jacket pocket without giving me the opportunity to actually do something about it. We talked a lot these past few days.

Stefan ran towards the table and I noticed a bunch of drawings gathered already on the right side. He took out another paper and started drawing with the black crayon. He was quite good for his age. I mean his drawings weren't just disfigured people with ugly eyes, he really drew good. His teacher at school send a few of his stuff to a competition and some of his drawings were handing in the hallways. I've never been more proud of him. They said he should go to a drawing class, but we couldn't do that, not now when I barely found time to get him home after school. Plus aunt Sarah said it was pointless-drawing wouldn't teach him anything, she said. I was sure he enjoys it a lot, though and it made me happy to see him so concentrated. I was sure that if he goes to a teacher and they explain him some stuff he would be even better. I mean he couldn't even write properly yet, but he was drawing such cool and sweet stuff.

I took the pile up and started browsing through the pictures. He wasn't paying attention to me anymore, he was too deep in his own world, so I sat back on the bed and began looking at them. They must've been like fifteen or so which meant he really didn't have much to do this weekend. There was one with the girls sleeping on the kitchen couch, one of aunt Sarah cooking something in a frying pan, at least five with Martin in the backyard, which made me smile a lot, there were also a few with Simon-it was so nice how he drew his glasses, it made him look so sweet and happy, just as he was now and then after those ones I suddenly stopped. The smile disappeared from my face.

He has drawn two boys sitting on a big field, leaning on to each other- you couldn't see their faces, only their backs. One was taller, with dark black hair, the other was blond. It was night, there were stars in the sky, one shining brighter than the others. It seemed peaceful..but also sad.

"Stefan?"I ask and he turns around suddenly, waiting to hear my question.

"Yeah?"

"What's that?" I turn the drawing towards him.

"That's us watching mom up in the sky." he answers as if I'm the dumbest person on earth, unable to understand why I can't figure it out. I clear my throat uncomfortable and look back at it. "Don't you like it?" he asks with concern.

"I think it's great. We should put it in our room."

"Yeah?" he asks in disbelief. "I'm not sure it's good enough" my brother, always underestimating himself.

"It's good enough, Stefan." I say silently "It's definitely good enough."

He gives me one of his foolish childish smiles and I respond with the same, even though I feel so desperately sad from the inside.

Fletcher was right-they were smarter than we thought.

A/N:Thank you for the nice reviews, guys! It means a lot to me. Hope you enjoy this one as well. ((: