AN: okay so this chapter is the longest I've written for this story as of this moment. I'm trying to keep all the chapters more or less around 5500 words but there are so many things happening here that I just couldn't stay within that limit. As always, thanks to all those who take the time to read and write a review - no matter how long or short - to let me know what they think of the chapter!

Thank you to delena21051 for being an amazingly patient betareader!

Chapter 5 - I Found You

Stefan turned off the car and rested his hands on the steering wheel. He took deep, slow breaths to keep himself calm as he stared at the building in front of him. It was a nondescript two-story building that didn't particularly stand out among its neighbors. The grey plastering had crumbled down in some places revealing the red bricks underneath. Above the entrance door, the words 'Orphanage Baby Jesus' Handmaids' were carved into the stone.

He didn't know why, but somehow he had imagined the orphanage where is maybe-brother had spent a lot of his time to be completely different. He knew it was ridiculous to expect a building to show some physical sign of Damon having been there, yet that was exactly what he had expected to see.

"Are you okay?"

Elena's voice pulled him out of his reflections. He turned to look at her seated on the passenger side, her eyes looking worriedly at him. She was probably starting to internally freak out at the way he had just been sitting there staring at the building in front of them as if it had personally offended him.

"Yeah, I'm fine." He told her to ease her worry. "I just need a minute, you know?"

She said nothing, choosing instead to look ahead at the building while she waited for him to pull himself together. She had no way of knowing what he was feeling, but she imagined that 'nervous' couldn't even begin to describe him. Hell, she wasn't the one looking for her estranged brother and she still felt uneasy, as if she were standing on the edge of a precipice and one more step forward could plunge her into the unknown.

Stefan shifted his grip on the steering wheel feeling the palms of his hands starting to become slick with sweat. Try as he might, he just couldn't find it in himself to calm down and move. As long as he stayed inside the car, he could still pretend that things were all right; he could remain in the state of subtle euphoria that had snuck up on him when Elena had read out loud her new information on Damon.

Inside that car, his world was still in one piece; outside of it, it could crumble.

Because what if it all turned out to be a giant joke? What if the girl Elena had been talking with was just some sick, twisted person that liked to destroy other people's dreams? Stefan wasn't so sure that he could handle it if they found out that Damon had never even seen this orphanage. This was the only concrete lead they had, and he refused to believe that it was all about to turn into a disappointment of catastrophic proportions.

Before he could find something else to keep him stuck in that car, Stefan turned and opened the door jumping out of the car, all in one motion. Without turning back, he started walking toward the entrance of the orphanage feeling a bit better when he heard Elena's footsteps right by his side.

When he reached the entrance, he grabbed the metal handle and pulled. The door didn't budge. Stefan felt on the verge of screaming; it was just their luck, wasn't it?

A stifled snort behind him made him turn. Elena had her lips pressed together to keep herself from laughing at him.

He cocked his head to the side waiting for an explanation.

"It says 'push'." She said pointing at the door. "Right there."

Stefan turned back and looked where Elena's finger was pointing toward; the white and blue sign with the word 'push' on it seemed to mock him from where it hung. Stefan felt his cheeks grow hot and mentally chided himself for having been nervous to the point of making a fool of himself.

"I saw it." He mumbled without looking at his friend. "I was just steeling myself before going inside."

"Sure you were."

Stefan pushed the door open and stepped inside the orphanage. He didn't know exactly what he was expecting – touring orphanages wasn't exactly his hobby – but he was pleasantly surprised by the serene atmosphere inside. He advanced a few steps, Elena trailing silently beside him.

The air was cool inside but not excessively so, making it for a nice change in temperature from the summer heat they had previously been in. Boston wasn't exactly hot during the summer – certainly nothing compared to the hot days in Virginia – but, like every other maritime city, it was humid in a way that made it uncomfortable to walk around too much.

Right in front of Stefan and Elena there was a small hall, with lucid marble floors and snow-white walls that made for a very clear and sunny environment thanks to the large windows that let the light stream in. There was no one behind the receptionist desk so the two friends took their time looking around.

Stefan had always imagined orphanages to be pretty sad places, but this didn't look like such a bad place. He didn't think that the kids who lived there were ecstatic at the idea of living in an orphanage, but if the colorful drawings that covered the wall behind the receptionist desk were anything to go by, they were at least treated well.

"Should we look for someone or should we wait here?" Elena asked him, moving her weight from one foot to the other.

He shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not really sure what the protocol in this situation is."

He took a few steps forward to throw a look in the hallway that opened in the top left corner of the room they were in. It was a long white hallway with several doors opening along both sides. He could see that there were small windows on the doors and it made him think that maybe those were classrooms or something like that. He wasn't sure what kids did in an orphanage but surely, they were provided with some sort of an education.

He noticed that there too the walls were covered in drawings.

Right when he made to turn back toward Elena, he saw something move at the end of the hallway. He squinted his eyes and recognized the profile of a person. Judging by the clothes, it was a woman of medium height.

"There's someone over there." He pointed at the woman, turning to look at Elena. "Maybe we can ask her how to find Damon."

"Well, trying won't kill us."

The two exchanged a quick nod before walking down the hallway. When they were halfway across the hallway, they saw the woman opening a door to walk inside a room. The two friends quickened their steps afraid that they would lose sight of her.

"Ma'am!" Stefan called out.

The woman turned to look in their direction, one hand still clasping the door-handle. She frowned at them, clearly confused by their sudden appearance.

Stefan and Elena stopped in front of her and offered her a smile. Up close, Stefan realized that he had been right in judging the figure to be a woman. In front of them stood an elderly-looking nun with big round glasses that framed kind green eyes. She was of medium height and her plump body made her look like one of those Russian dolls Elena's mother had bought at a street-market a couple of years before.

"You are not supposed to be here, this area is restricted to personnel only." She spoke kindly to them, not a hint of rudeness in her voice, yet Stefan still felt as if he had been scolded for stealing a cookie from the cookie-jar.

"Ah, there is no one back at reception." He pointed behind him with his thumb. "We saw you and thought maybe we could ask you for help."

The nun sighed and adjusted her glasses. "I must have a word with Sister Anne. That young girl is never where she is supposed to be." She told them with an apologetic smile. "You mentioned you needed my help?"

Elena took a step forward. "We are looking for someone."

"I don't seem to recall any appointment for today and, quite frankly, you two seem awfully young to be thinking about adopting a baby." This time there was definitely a subtle hint of judgment in her words.

"Wha—" Elena glanced at Stefan with wide eyes. Did she just hear the nun implying that they wanted to adopt a baby?

When she saw the horrified look in Stefan's eyes, Elena turned back toward the nun. "No, no, no, no, no! We're not a couple, we're just friends!"

"Yeah and we certainly do not want to adopt a baby." Stefan quickly added.

The two friends giggled nervously while the nun's eyes moved from him to Elena and back to him. She seemed to be amused by their reaction and Stefan couldn't help but wonder whether a nun had just trolled them.

"Well, then I don't really know how I can be of any help to you." The nun said adjusting her glasses once again. "This is an orphanage, after all."

"As I was saying." Elena intervened once again. "We're looking for a man. From what we know, he used to spend a lot of time here when he was a kid."

"Like, 15 or 16 years ago?" Stefan added.

The nun frowned. "Why are you looking for this man?"

Stefan glanced at Elena and at her subtle nod, he decided to tell the truth to the nun.

"We think that he might have been my brother." There was really no reason to beat around the bush.

"Your brother?" The nun said with wide eyes. "What makes you think that?"

Stefan sighed, really not in the mood to get on the whole story. "It's a really long story. I've been looking for him for months and this is the only trace of him I was able to find."

The nun didn't look too convinced. Stefan decided to play his last card to try and make the nun believe him. He reached for his wallet in the back pocket of the dark jeans he was wearing.

"I have a picture of him." He pulled it out of his wallet and handed it to her with a pleading look. "Please, could you just look at it and tell me if you recognize him? He's the boy with the dark hair and the blue eyes."

The two friends waited with baited breath as the nun looked at the picture. She stared at it intently but neither Stefan nor Elena saw any change in the expression on her face. The tension was killing Stefan; this woman could actually be the one to tell him where Damon was. Maybe he could meet him before the day of the concert; maybe he could find out sooner rather than later whether this Damon was his brother or not.

The nun sighed and handed the picture back to Stefan; his heart sank when he caught the apologetic look in her eyes.

"He seems familiar, but I can't be sure I've seen him or someone else looking like him." She told him. "A lot of blue-eyed, black-haired boys have lived in this orphanage."

Stefan's hand fell against his side, the picture held tightly between his fingers. He felt Elena's hand squeeze his arm in a sign of comfort and he turned to give her a tight-lipped smile that he hoped covered the disappointment he was feeling. The nun hadn't outright said that she had never seen Damon, but neither had she given them the means to find him.

He looked at the nun and offered her a small smile; it wasn't her fault that she couldn't be sure she had really seen Damon.

"Thank you." He told her. "This was all we were here for. I guess we'll just leave."

The nun reached out with her hand and stopped him before he could turn around. "Wait a moment, young man. I said I can't be sure if I saw him; I never said that there isn't someone else who could be able to help you."

Stefan couldn't believe his ears. At the nun's words, he felt a tiny glimmer of hope blooming in his chest. Elena was just as excited as he was. Still with her hand encircling his forearm, she moved closer to him.

"You mean you know someone who would know for sure if he was here?" She was almost afraid to hope.

The nun nodded. "The Director has an incredible memory. For as long as I've known him, he's never forgotten a single kid who walked through the doors of this orphanage." She told them. "If the man you're looking for has spent some time here – as you seem sure he did – then the Director would know."

"And can we meet this Director now?" Stefan asked his voice shaky with nerves.

"He should be in his office. Go to the end of this hallway, turn right and go through the first door on your right. His office is at the top of the stairs. Just tell him that Sister Eleanor sent you." She told them with a motherly smile.

Both Stefan and Elena grabbed the nun's hands in their own, shaking them in gratitude while speaking one over the other.

"Thank you so much! You ha—"

"We won't forget about this or ab—"

"You just made our day, no our year!"

After a good five minutes of praises, the two friends bolted down the hallway throwing one last 'thank you' over their shoulders, leaving a bemused nun to stare after them in the now deserted hallway. Sister Eleanor shook her head and recited a silent pray that the two young ones would find the man they were looking for.

When Stefan reached the top of the stairs, he looked at the nondescript wooden door with a golden-plated plaque sporting the words 'Director Simmons' on it. He stared at it for a moment before raising his hand and rapping his knuckles against the door. He knocked twice, the sound echoing in the small antechamber and almost synchronizing with the loud pounding of his heart in his chest.

"Come in!" Came a male voice from behind the door.

Steeling his nerves – and drawing from the comforting feeling of Elena's hand pressed lightly against his shoulder – Stefan opened the door.

The office was not small but the cluttered bookcases that lined three of its four walls made it look crowded. On the wall opposite the door, a floor-to-ceiling window opened on the garden the two friends had briefly seen when entering the orphanage. Seated behind a dark mahogany desk, was a middle-aged African-American man built like a professional wrestler – albeit one no longer in his days of glory – with short greying hair.

He raised an eyebrow at them when they remained silent upon entering the room.

"Uh, we were looking for the Director of the orphanage?" Stefan haltingly said.

"You found him." The man said resting his hands on top of the desk. His voice was deep and a bit raucous from age.

Stefan seemed to shake himself out of his daze. "Yes, of course." He said with an embarrassed smile. "This is the office of the Director so…" He cleared his throat advancing toward the desk and sticking his hand out for the older man to shake. "My name is Stefan Moore; this is my friend Elena Gilbert."

Elena moved forward and shook the older man's hand murmuring a quiet 'pleasure to meet you'.

"Sister Eleanor sent us to you." Stefan told him.

At those words, Mr. Simmons gestured for them to take a seat on the two low armchairs in front of his desk.

"Would you like something to drink? Water? Maybe some iced-tea?" He asked them, swiveling in his chair to reveal a cart behind him with glasses and bottles on top of it.

"Nothing for me, thank you." Stefan didn't think he could stomach anything at the moment.

"Could I have a glass of tea, please?" Elena asked.

While Mr. Simmons was busy pouring the iced-tea, Elena looked around in the office. At first, she had thought all the bookcases to be filled with well…books. Now that she looked closely, though, she saw that the ones nearer to the desk were occupied by rows and rows of framed pictured of boys and girls of all ages. She spotted even some adults in a few of them.

"They are my children." Mr. Simmons said handing the iced-tea to Elena.

"You mean the children in the pictures?" She asked him grabbing the glass, careful not to spill any of it on top of his desk.

"Yes, of course." Mr. Simmons said leaning back in his chair. His eyes moved from one picture on his desk to the other. "I like to keep track of every kid that ends up in this orphanage. I want them to feel like they already have a family when they come here and that they just have to wait for the chance to create their own little family."

"That's really nice of you. I'm sure they really appreciate everything that you do for them." Elena told him with a sincere smile. She took a sip of her iced-tea, relishing in the way the cool liquid slid down her throat.

"I know they do. You know they occasionally send me picture of them with their new parents and siblings? Some of them even come back for a visit." He heaved a sigh, throwing a last affectionate look at the kids smiling at him from their frames. "Anyway, if Sister Eleanor sent you to me it must mean that you need something from me? What is it?"

Stefan straightened in his chair, glad that they were finally getting to the point of their visit. He was glad that Director Simmons seemed to truly care for the kids in his charge – God knew those children needed someone to love them – but he had felt a bit annoyed that they were talking about things that had nothing to do with his brother.

"Yes, sir. We actually need your help." He started, his fingers clenching around the picture he still held in his hand. "More or less six months ago, I found out I had an older brother who I have never met. For a series of reasons that I won't bore you with, I had no way of contacting him. However, Elena and I recently discovered that he might have spent some time here in this orphanage. Sister Eleanor told us that you remember every kid who's ever been here so…"

"So you wonder if I remember your brother." Mr. Simmons finished his sentence for him.

Stefan nodded at him.

"Well, do you have a picture of him?"

Stefan leaned forward and handed him the picture of his brother. "He's the boy with dark hair and blue eyes." He said, hoping to help jog the man's memory.

It turned out there really was no need to jog Simmons' memory. As soon as his eyes fell on the picture, he beamed at it.

"Oh, I definitely remember him!" He said with a laugh. "That's Damon Salvatore."

Stefan felt his heart jump in his throat at the man's words. He couldn't believe it; they had found him. The man sitting right in front of him had recognized the boy in the picture as Damon Salvatore. It meant that the road-trip had not been a waste of time. It meant that he was in the same city as his brother. It meant that he could actually meet him.

He turned to look at Elena with a smile so big stretching his lips that it actually hurt. He saw an identical smile on his friend's face.

"Elena, we did it!" He told her breathlessly.

Elena laughed in happiness and turned to the director of the orphanage. "Are you absolutely sure that's him?"

Simmons nodded. "I would never forget this boy. He used to come here to play with his friends. He never stood still a moment, not even if his life depended on it."

Stefan leaned forward, sitting on the edge of his armchair. "Why did he come here? Didn't he have a family?"

Simmons handed him the picture back. "As far as I know, he lived with his father somewhere in Brookline; rich people live there. Since he wasn't one of my kids, I did not know much about him."

Elena frowned at this new piece of information. "I'm sorry but I don't understand. If he didn't live here and you knew nothing about him, then why did you let him come here without asking him any questions?"

"Well, he came here with the founder of the orphanage so I didn't think I'd need to." Simmons answered without blinking an eye.

"The founder of the orphanage?" Stefan was feeling more curious on his brother's life with every new piece of information he found. It seemed to him like Damon's life was a jumbled mess of people who knew little about him.

"Yeah, Father Kieran." Simmons told them, clutching his hands and resting them on his desk. "Damon hung around him like a lost puppy. Not much has changed if you ask me."

Stefan perked up at his words. "Wait a second, are you telling me that this priest is still in contact with Damon?"

Simmons nodded. "Of course. When Damon turned 18, he and three of my kids went to live with him. I know that they all have their place now but I'm sure they still crash at Father Kieran's every now and then." He scratched the side of his head in thought. "In fact, I'm pretty sure they're at his place these days."

Stefan and Elena exchanged a look before she turned toward Simmons and stared at him with determined eyes. "Sir, could you tell us where we can find this priest?"

~.~

"There it is! St. Joseph's Catholic Church."

Stefan pointed at the church standing proud against the blue sky. It was an old gothic-style church that reminded him of the one in X-Men 2 when Jean and Storm go looking for Nightcrawler. Had it been night, he would have thought it was actually the same one.

The church had been so close to the orphanage that the two friends had decided to leave their car and simply walk. Simmons had explained to them the way to the church, instructing them to tell Father Kieran that he was the one who sent them.

The two friends jogged up the steps leading to the double-doors at the entrance. Once they stepped inside the church, they were immediately hit by a waft of cool air and the smell of incense. Elena walked up to the stoop and dipped her fingers in the holy water before making the sign of the cross. Stefan followed her example after a moment of indecision.

Elena started walking down the central aisle, her eyes taking in the tall windows portraying the saints and the angels. There was something that inspired awe in her in the presence of such magnificence. She had never been in a Catholic church before, but she found herself liking the air of complete and total peace she felt around her.

"Can I help you?"

Elena immediately lowered her gaze searching for the man who had just spoken. She saw him at the end of the central aisle, something clutched in his hands. He was looking at her with open, earnest eyes.

"We're looking for Father Kieran." She said raising her voice and cringing slightly when she heard it echo in the church. She didn't know whether she was supposed to speak quietly or if she was allowed to raise her voice. "Mr. Simmons from the Baby Jesus' Handmaids sent us here. We need to speak with Father Kieran. It's an urgent matter."

The man walked towards her, his long black cassock moving with a whisper over the red and white stones that paved the church. When he reached her, he smiled kindly, little crinkles appearing at the corners of his eyes.

"You have found him. I'm Father Kieran." He said, his words lilting with a light Irish accent.

He was a man in his late forties – perhaps early fifties – with short dark-brown hair with the first hints of grey at his temples. He was tall – at least six feet – and had a lean physique. His eyes were a deep green and Elena noticed the freckles lightly dusting his nose and cheeks. His entire being seemed to emanate an air of kindness that put at ease everyone in his presence.

When Elena shook the hand he stuck out toward her, she felt his strong grip hold tightly to her hand.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Father. My name is Elena Gilbert, this is Stefan Moore." She introduced herself and Stefan who, in the meantime, had reached her side.

After Stefan had shook the priest's hand, Father Kieran turned to look at her.

"What can I do for you?"

Elena motioned for Stefan to talk. After a brief glance at her, he stepped forward drawing Father Kieran's attention on himself.

"We're looking for my brother. His name is Damon Salvatore; Mr. Simmons told us that you are in contact with him." Stefan saw no reason to beat around the bush.

Father Kieran seemed startled by his words. He clutched the book he still held in his hands – a Bible, Elena realized now that they were close to him – and looked at Stefan with inscrutable eyes. He seemed to doubt whether to believe Stefan's story or not. Elena found herself thinking that she couldn't exactly blame him for this.

"Can you prove to me that you are who you say you are? I wish to believe you, but this is an extremely delicate matter. I cannot simply send you to Damon without even be sure of who you are." He spoke with a calm voice.

Elena touched Stefan's elbow. "Show him the picture."

Stefan reached in his pocket and – for what felt like the millionth time that day – pulled out the only picture he had of his brother.

"Here."

They both saw the immediate flash of recognition in his eyes. Father Kieran stared at the picture for a long moment; he even turned it over and read what was written on its back. After a good half-minute, he sighed and handed the picture back to Stefan.

Stefan took it with a frown. "So?"

Father Kieran joined his hands over the Bible in his lap. "I'm really not sure what I can do for you. You say you want to meet Damon and, while I feel your plight, I do not know if that would be the best thing for him."

Stefan shook his head, not understanding what the priest was saying.

"Excuse me?"

Father Kieran stared at him with hard eyes. "I do not know you Stefan but you seem like a good person. Certainly, if you went through all this trouble to find Damon you must be a good person. However, what happened in the past left deep wounds that I do not wish to see re-opened. It would be wonderful if the two of you reunited, I can assure you I would be the first to rejoice, but I do not see how throwing you in Damon's life would be beneficial to him."

As he listened to the priest's words, Stefan felt anger pool inside of him. He was so close to finally meeting his brother, so incredibly close, and now this man was pushing him away. He was tired and frustrated and, frankly, he was really done with people keeping his brother from him. He would not let this priest keep him from Damon.

"Listen, I don't know who you think you are but Damon is my brother. I have a right to meet him!" His voice had reached a shout by the end of his sentence.

Father Kieran's eyes turned to stone. "And Damon has a right to refuse and go on living his life."

Before Stefan could say anything else, Elena intervened. She took a hold of his elbow and made him turn away from the priest. "Stefan, back off! Let me deal with this; you'll only make things worse like this."

He looked at her with anger-filled eyes; his cheeks flushed a bright red. He was practically trembling with fury. After a terribly long moment, he seemed to calm down at least enough to keep himself from physically shaking Father Kieran to make him tell him where Damon was.

He clenched his jaw before roughly shrugging off her hand and stomping out of the church.

Elena watched him go feeling powerless in stopping his pain. She couldn't imagine how he was feeling in that moment; it seemed awfully cruel that things never went his way.

She turned toward Father Kieran. His eyes followed Stefan until he disappeared through the entrance doors.

"Perhaps you should have gone with him."

Elena took a deep breath, immediately feeling defensive. "He is tired, frustrated and no offense, but you really did not help the situation, Father."

Father Kieran's eyes slid to her. He seemed surprised and vaguely offended by her candor. Before he could say anything, Elena kept on talking.

"We don't know what happened in the past that would make you feel like Damon needs protection. In fact, until six months ago, Stefan didn't even know he had a brother." She spoke quietly, trying to make him understand that they weren't trying to upset Damon's life. "For all these months we've been looking for clues that would lead us to Damon, and now we've found him. We came a long way to meet him. We don't want to make things hard, we don't want to open old wounds. We just ask you to please let us, let Stefan, speak to his brother."

Father Kieran looked her deeply in the eyes; she felt like he was trying to judge the sincerity in her words. She held his gaze, determined to prove to him that she could be trusted. The way Father Kieran wanted to protect Damon reminded her of the way she tried to protect Stefan – and he her – or the way her parents tried to protect her from anything that might inflict her harm.

She didn't know what kind of bond existed between the priest and Damon, but it was clearly a strong one.

After a long moment, Father Kieran seemed to come to a decision. "I will speak to Damon tonight. I will explain to him the situation the way you explained it to me. If you give me your number, I promise to call you to inform you whether Damon wants to meet with Stefan or not."

Elena wasn't exactly happy with the way the priest wanted to handle the situation, but she knew this was the best offer she was going to get. She gave her number to the priest, thanked him and turned to go to Stefan with the somewhat good news.

She hadn't even taken three steps, before the voice of the priest stopped her.

"Miss Gilbert, I will not force Damon into doing something he doesn't want to do." He told her, his eyes tired. "The decision to meet with Stefan will be his and his alone. If he chooses to not meet him, I need your word that you will not try to interfere with his life anymore."

Elena looked him determinedly in the eye. "You have my word."

With those words, she left.

~.~

Father Kieran left the church through a door in the back and crossed the garden toward his house. As he walked along the tree-lined dirt road, he thought back to the conversation he had with Stefan and Elena. He dreaded having to tell Damon that his brother was in the same city as he was and that he wanted to meet him. He couldn't see how that conversation could go well.

As he got closer to his home, he heard voices and laughter coming from inside the small two-story building. He smiled as the house emerged from the trees. It was an old building, a bit run-down but still solid and, most importantly, still welcoming.

He walked up the three wooden steps that lead to the porch. As he entered into the small living room – that also served as a place where to eat – only to find Damon and Enzo fighting over who would get to hold the TV-remote, while Bonnie cheered first for one and then for the other from where she was curled on the worn sofa by the wall.

"Boys, put down the remote and go set the table." He said surveying the situation with fond eyes.

The two men did as they were told, going into the kitchen in the next room to grab the tableware. Kieran heard them grumbling all the way.

"Hey Father K, we were wondering when you would arrive." Bonnie smiled at him.

"I had some things to do. Where is Caroline?" He had yet to see her.

Bonnie pointed at the door on her left. "She's in the kitchen finishing up preparing dinner. She made her spaghetti."

"Oh boy, it's good that I'm famished then. I hope she cooked more pasta than the last time." Caroline's spaghetti with tomato sauce made from scratch was everyone's favorite food.

"She came prepared. No one will be left wanting."

"Listen, I'm going upstairs to shower and change before dinner." He said. "Do me a favor and hold tight to the remote, you know those two will start fighting over it as soon as I turn my back."

Bonnie gave him a mock salute as he rounded the corner to go upstairs to his bedroom.

When he came back downstairs, the table was already set, a plate full of deliciously looking spaghetti on each place.

The five of them ate will exchanging pleasant conversation. Kieran told them of his day at the church – leaving aside the unexpected visit he received – and the others took turns telling him how things were going with their band.

He learned that the four of them had been rehearsing for their concert that Saturday all afternoon; that Bonnie still had some trouble performing one of their new songs; that Caroline and Enzo fought over who would get to sing which part with Damon; that Damon had missed a note he usually got and had started doubting himself.

He smiled as he listened to his little family. They were always bickering and that's how he knew that they loved each other deeply. The day they started getting along without teasing one another, was the day he would start worrying.

As always, it was his job to bring peace back among them. He told Bonnie to take two deep breaths before launching herself into the songs so that she would relax and perform at her best. He told Caroline and Enzo to alternate who would sing each part of the song so that they would both sing equally. He told Damon to relax because everyone made mistakes and that Kieran had complete faith in him and knew he would sing as beautifully as always.

After dinner, Kieran asked Damon to help him wash the dishes while the others took their places around the living room, ready for their traditional post-dinner movie.

As he washed the dishes and passed them to Damon so he could dry them, Kieran decided it was the right time to breach the subject of his brother.

"Two visitors came to the church today looking for someone." He started.

Damon looked at him with an amused light in his eyes. "Let me guess, they were looking for God?"

Kieran pretended he hadn't heard him. "One of them, a young man, was looking for his brother."

He noticed how Damon seemed to tense at his words. He risked pushing a little bit forward.

"His name was Stefan." He said keeping his eyes on the man beside him.

Damon almost dropped the glass he was drying. Kieran gently took it from his hands and set it down on the counter. He took a hold of Damon's arm and gently led him to sit down at the small table near the ceiling to floor windows that looked toward the garden.

"I don't appreciate you joking about this." Damon said in a panicked whisper.

"I wasn't joking." He said with a sad smile. "He said he has been looking for you for months now. I don't know how he found out where you were but he's here in Boston."

Damon shook his head minutely and looked Kieran in the eyes. "Maybe it's not him." He sounded almost pleading.

"He had a picture of you, of when you were a boy. You were holding a baby in your arms." He told him, his familiar accent somewhat comforting him. "I would recognize you anywhere, Damon."

Damon squeezed his eyes shut, clenching his fist on the table. He didn't know how to feel at the news that his brother was in the same city where he was and apparently was looking for him. There was a part of him that felt overjoyed at the prospect of meeting the adult version of the baby he had so loved many years ago.

Another bigger part of him was afraid of having to deal with a figure from his past.

"What does he want?" He asked.

"He would like to meet you. He seemed to really want to get to know you."

Damon looked at him with lost eyes and asked the question Kieran was afraid he would ask.

"What should I do?"

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