I'M SORRY I HAVEN'T UPDATED IN A WHILE. I'M ONLY ALLOWED ON THE INTERNET ON WEEKENDS AND I'VE BEEN SICK FOR TWO WEEKS NOW AND I CAN'T BREATHE AND MY FRIENDS ARE SUCKING ME INTO THEIR DRAMA THAT I HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH AND I HAVEN'T BEEN SLEEPING WELL AND THE URGING TO UPDATE IMMEDIATELY WHEN I HAVE NO TIME IS GIVING ME A HEADACHE SO QUIT IT!

Ignore my bitchiness, life sucks right now.

Oh, btw, Abbyli, thanks for the inspiring pm. -hands you a plate of virtual cookies- I think I'm going to follow many of the events of the actual episode, however, so... xP Thanks for suggesting the Caroline PoV though, I was debating it.

OH! And those of you who have not heard of BroodyandCheery323, her fanfiction and youtube videos inspire me like nothing else, you really should check it out... in fact, I'm watching her videos while I attempt to write this... hehehe xP... (If you happen to be reading this, dear, oh my god thank you for existing. I'm currently sobbing over "Is this the moment..." :']...)

Caroline pauses outside of the boarding house, breathing shallow as she tries to bottle up her feelings. Oh my god... Why... Why for me? She thinks desperately.

Ruefully, she admits to herself that seeing Damon like that was the biggest shock she's ever experienced. He'd always seemed strong to her. Strong, arrogant, selfish, prideful, stubborn. Those were good words to describe Damon Salvatore. Safe words. Words you could count on to be true.

Until now. Now the words that came to mind... Ill, broken, tired, helpless, frightened. Had anyone told her mere days ago that she would soon be thinking of Damon as any of that, she would've laughed in their face. Had anyone told her that he would go through extreme pain to save her of all people... She probably would've given them a lengthy speech about why Damon was an asshole who didn't give a flying fuck about anyone but himself, least of all her.

But now...

Her hands shook as she headed down the steps, not being able to shake the sight of Damon unnaturally still and quiet, except for the painful rattle in his chest as he struggled to breathe. She flinched as the sound echoed in her ears.

Shaking her head, she climbed into her car and gunned the engine.

"If I didn't know better, I'd say you were worried." Damon states sarcastically. "But I mean, come on, this is you we're talking about. Mr. Fun. Right?" There's a teasing glint in his eye though his voice is painfully weak and raspy. He's leaning propped against the headboard while Stefan sits in the chair next to the bed. The latter shakes his head and gives the older brother a disapproving look. "Sorry. Just trying to lighten the mood." Damon croaks with a smirk.

Stefan rolls his eyes. "Yeah, because this situation definitely calls for cheeriness. Right. Have you completely lost your mind?" As soon as the last sentence slips out, his eyes widen slightly and he flinches guiltily.

A weak chuckle. "Not yet, I don't think. Although, I don't think I've ever claimed to be completely sane anyway." His face falls, and he shifts slightly. "When it does happen though-"

"If." Stefan cuts him off, tone stern. "That's if Caroline doesn't find something before that happens. And I know what you're going to say. I'm not going to hurt you, even to protect everyone else. If all else fails, we can put you in the basement. But I can't..." His voice trails off. He looks at his brother helplessly.

Damon raises his eyebrows. "Hmm. What brought on this change in opinion? You've been perfectly willing to put me out of everyone else's misery in the not-too-distant past."

A sigh. Stefan rubs the back of his neck. "That was then. When... when you were some monster I could try to distance myself from. Now..." He shakes his head, frowning. "Damon... we've gotten closer again. And besides... I can't hurt you when you're already sick and in pain. I can't do that to you." His voice breaks.

Damon shifts again, looking sad but resigned. "Stef..." He tries to move closer, but immediately realises that even the amount of energy required for that much activity is quickly becoming inaccessable. He settles for reaching out and squeezing a thin arm reassuringly. Stefan looks up, eyes full of tears. Damon flinches, and then quickly assumes an aggravated expression. "Well, no need to act like I'm already dead... Well, I am, technically... Ugh, you know what I mean." A splitting headache has suddenly taken up residence behind his eyes. He lifts his free hand up to his temple, grimacing.

"You alright?" Stefan asks quickly. Damon gives him a disparaging look, and Stefan can almost hear the words behind it; Yeah, just peachy, dumbass. Ya know, despite the whole "Dying a slow and painful death" thing. "Sorry." He mutters guiltily. "What's wrong with your head?"

Damon sighs huffily. "What kind of question is that?" He grates out with a glare.

Stefan rolls his eyes. "I didn't mean it that way. Quit fooling around."

As quickly as the headache started, it stops. Damon relaxes, closing his eyes. "Nothing. It just... Hurt a little bit." He whispers. Stefan frowns concernedly, but Damon's too out of it to care even if he could see it. "M'tired..." He mumbles.

Stefan sighs, and -for what must be at least the third time that day- helps his brother lay down, and then listens silently as his breathing evens.

Caroline walks slowly into the apartment. She looks around nervously, hoping that Klaus won't manage to catch her by surprise.

To her intense shame, Katherine does just that.

The blonde thrashes against the hold on her throat, glaring daggers at the woman who snapped her neck. "Shh..." The doppleganger scolds. The door opens, and she stiffens. "Klaus." She calls out by way of greeting. "You appear to have a visitor."

And Caroline is pushed in the path of one very smug hybrid.

CLIFFY! HEHEHE.

Review. G'head, tell me how evil I am.