4. Unwelcome

The next few weeks passed like a blur for Elena. Everyday felt like she was going through the motions, and it was all so wrong, but she was keeping up a calm facade to help Stefan muddle through.

In reality the death of Mr and Mrs Salvatore cut too close to the bone for her; no they hadn't been her parents, yet they might as well have been. The Salvatores had adopted Elena as one of their own after the death of her parents, caring for her in a way that the young, immature and equally bereaved Aunt Jenna never could.

To start with Jenna had been at college finishing her degree in Business, so Elena had lived for a year at the old boarding house, even calling Mrs Salvatore Mummy once, although she'd felt absolutely mortified after. Now they were gone the memories that she had suppressed of the accident and it's aftermath resurfaced, and she was beginning to have the old recurring nightmares again.

However, although she was in a lot of emotional pain Elena hid all this from Stefan as she tried to help him through his daily life: making sure he got to school, always being there for him when it got too much, cooking for him so that she could make sure that he was eating properly and standing by his side when the police came to file their report.

What the police had originally branded as a tragic accident, detectives now suspected as foul play. It had been another car accident, yet in this case the Salvatores would have had a hundred metres or so to swerve away or apply the brakes. There was no evidence that Mr Salvatore had done either. Had something distracted him? Or had the accident been a cover up? The detectives couldn't say, so the case remained open, the police hung around and the bodies stayed unburied.

A couple of weeks after that tragic day and Stefan was sitting in the field that his family owned, watching the sunset and musing on his mortality. Elena had just left a few minutes ago and already he missed her. He sighed and wondered whether the attentiveness with which she had cared for him these past few days showed that she was just as hopelessly in love with him as he was with her. It was a nice theory, perhaps the only glimmer of hope he'd had for a while now, but she could just have easily been acting as the sympathetic best friend.

Engrossed as he was in this train of thought, Stefan didn't hear anyone approaching until a shadow fell upon him. He slowly looked up from his hands taking in the smart leather shoes - now with a few blades of grass marring their perfection - the skin tight black jeans, the well cut ebony silk shirt and finally gazing upon the indifferent face of his brother.

"What are you doing here Damon?"

For a moment Stefan saw the cold flash of anger, and the tiniest hint of hurt, pass across his brother's features, before the look was quickly replaced by a practised blankness, which could be interpreted as anything but friendly.

"Hello little brother." And with that he turned to walk back towards the house.

Stefan sat for a moment dazed before he shouted out, "Hey!" scrambling up onto his legs and running towards his brother. "Is that really all you have to say for yourself? How about why you left us without so much as a goodbye? How about the rumours that tore my parents apart? How about why the FUCK you seem to think that it's acceptable to be back NOW? HAVE YOU NO RESPECT? Damn it Damon!"

Damon rounded on his brother, the fury unmasked now as it was written plainly across his face and his voice was menacing and cold. "Now listen boy and pay attention because I do not like to repeat myself. I have never and will never need to explain myself to you, but they were my parents too. If you had read the will you would have noticed that they left half of everything to me, and you can't touch yours until you're 21. So that makes me owner of that house." He jabbed his finger back towards the boarding house which was now very close.

"It also says that in the case of our parents' untimely death before you come of age, that I Damon Salvatore am to be your guardian. So I'm stuck with you, whether I like it or not, and you're stuck with me, so suck it up brother."

Stefan gasped and spluttered. "They ... they were planning to change that will. It doesn't mean anything. They wouldn't have wanted this."

"Should have, would have, could have. Law's the law boy."

"No! I won't allow it! I won't let you ruin Mystic Falls again, this is my life and this is my home! Mum said she never wanted you back in that house!"

And with that Damon snapped, and Stefan was on the grass, hands clutched to his nose, which was beginning to spout a steady stream of blood. Damon spat on the floor and with an air of disinterest walked up to the back door and pushed it open.

"Clean yourself up. We've got work to do."

"Like hell we do! Come back and fight like a man!"

"No ... but let me make myself clear: I will not tolerate you talking to me like that. I am the eldest and you are extremely naive. You need me and I am a man of honour. Much though it might shock you, our parents knew what might happen in the future. That is why I have been left in charge. They knew that I was the only one with the strength to deal with it."

"I don't believe it. I won't believe it. You're just being self-centred and conceited like always."

"Tell me, why aren't our parents buried yet? The case is still open isn't it? Well, let me educate you a little, that car crash was no accident. Mum and dad were murdered."

He walked close to Stefan, where he still lay prone on the ground, paused for effect, then muttered darkly, "And I know who did it."

Oh no he didn't :P Damon really is a bit of an asshole isn't he? Unfortunately that's how he's going to remain for now, but hopefully he should improve slowly but surely into the Damon we know and love now :)