SHOUT OUTS/ANSWERS

BurningRoses: Thanks. I'm glad you liked it. Read on and see. Whenever I get inspired. Don't worry. I have no intention of abandoning it.

Long Live BRUCAS: Thanks. Well, you'll have to read on and see. Again, read on and see.

DISCLAIMER

The Vampire Diaries belongs to L.J. Smith and the CW. I only own the plot.

Stefan stared up at Montague as he stepped into view.

"Going somewhere, Stefan?" he mocked.

"I won't let you do this to me again," Stefan said. He struggled to rise, but the older vampire's powers held fast.

"I can do whatever I want…" Stefan was hauled to his feet---and then thrown against a tree. "And you can't stop me." Stefan panted as Montague advanced. He struggled to break the hold, to no avail. Montague grinned and placed his claws over his chest. Then, he made a downward motion and Stefan screamed as an invisible force made scratches down his body. This continued for several minutes until Montague finally stopped. He placed a hand on his shoulder. Then, bearing down, bit savagely into his neck. Stefan screamed again. No. He's gonna kill me, he thought to himself. Don't wanna die this way. Please, he thought to himself. Montague grinned evilly as he heard the thoughts coursing through the younger boy's mind. Stefan was his. And he would make him pay for his disobedience. Stefan shook and he tried to move an arm to strike him, but his limbs wouldn't obey.

"You can't fight me. I'm stronger." Stefan groaned as he tried to pull away. He had to---he had to get free. "Oh, by the way, you remember when you called your brother?" Stefan just looked at him through bleary eyes. Of course he remembered. "The guy who answered the phone? It was one of my boys. You never even reached him." Slowly, he began to drift into unconsciousness as the other vampire's laughter rang out. Not Dam---he didn't aban---? The incoherent thoughts ran through his mind as the darkness crept in. No…DAAAAMOOON! Across town, Damon stumbled as he suddenly his heard brother's shriek. With a growl, he turned around and headed in the direction of the sound. Come on, Stefan. Call me again, he silently urged. However, that proved to be unnecessary when he caught a familiar scent. With a snarl, he lunged. Montague fell to the ground with a grunt and Stefan collapsed. He watched the fight, his brother literally a blur as he whirled around, punching and kicking. Montague may have been centuries older, but Damon had a brother's protectiveness and a knack for fighting dirty on his side. He finally managed to pin the other vampire on the ground and then pulled a stake from out of his jeans.

"You wouldn't," Montague leered. "He's a freak. An abom---" he let out a noise of surprise as Damon jammed the stake through his heart. Montague gurgled and collapsed into dust as Damon headed for his brother.

"Stefan!" he exclaimed. "I came as soon as I heard you calling," he continued, helping his brother to a sitting position.

"Sorry. Didn't know," his younger brother apologized weakly.

"Didn't know what?" he asked.

"The sheriff's coming," came the warning. Normally that would've earned him a 'duh' since they could both hear the same thing, but just the fact his powers were even still working was a relief to Damon.

"Mr. Salvatore, what's going on here?" Sheriff Forbs questioned as Damon pulled Stefan to his feet. "Oh, my word. Is he all right?"

"It was a vampire. It was torturing him. I---I killed him."

"All right. We should get him to a hospital."

"I don't know if that's a good idea, Sheriff. I'm not sure what it did to him, and he's too out of it to be cooperative."

"Damon, don't feel so---" Stefan began to crumple towards the ground and Damon quickly caught him. "On second thought, that might be a good idea," he agreed. It'd be easy enough to smuggle in a cup of blood for him…which should offset the bloodlust at least a little. The two helped Stefan into the back of the car and Sheriff Forbes raced through the streets. Damon turned to look in his brother's eyes. You're really going to have to play human now. Can you hold on until I can smuggle you in some blood?he asked telepathically. Yeah, I'll be all right, Stefan assured.

"Damon, sorry. Didn't know. He tricked me," Stefan apologized out loud.

"What are you talking about?" Sheriff Forbes questioned.

"Thought I was talking to you…it was one of his guys," Stefan stated. "Sorry. Should've known."

"It's okay, little brother." Damon's eyes flashed and he had to restrain his natural urge to vamp out. This guy had tricked Stefan into believing that he didn't care about him? He wanted to bring Montague back to life so he could kill him again. When they got to the hospital, Stefan was wheeled in on a stretcher.

"He's lost a lot of blood," a medic noted.

"He's universal," Damon told them. They nodded and whisked him away.

"Are you all right?"

"I didn't give the guy a bad enough beating." Then, "I---I need some air. Uh, can I---"

"Go." Damon took off and once he was sure he was out of eyesight and earshot, he took off into the night until he found Elena's scent at Bonnie's house. That makes sense. She needed a place that felt safe and what better place than her best friend's house? he thought to himself. Hearing the door open, Elena, Jeremy, and Bonnie whirled around.

"Damon," Elena said.

"What are you doing here?" Bonnie demanded.

"It's Stefan. He's at Mystic Falls County General. He's been hurt," Damon answered.

"What?" Elena gasped.

"He's lost so much blood. I don't know if he's going to make it," Damon told her.

"Let's go," Elena determined, approaching him.

"Elena, you can't!" Bonnie protested, grabbing her arm.

"Watch Jeremy," Elena snapped, yanking out of the grasp, and then walked out the house, slamming the door behind her. "Will animal blood suffice?" she asked quietly.

"I---I don't know. He---he seemed so weak," Damon stammered. He needs to find, but---getting more than one animal will take too long, he thought to himself.

"Okay then. Plan B," Elena determined.

"Plan---" Damon's voice trailed off as he realized what she was saying. "I'm flattered that you'd do that for my brother, but he'd kill me!" he protested.

"And if we stand here and argue about it, he'll die," Elena emphasized. Yeah, well, there is that, Damon thought to himself, and taking her hand, he flew back to the hospital. In the hospital, Stefan groaned as he felt the blood enter him. It was helping a little, he wasn't feeling so sick, but he needed to feed. There was a whoosh and he jumped.

"Easy, little brother. It's just me," a voice said.

"And me," another voice chimed in. There was a click as the door was locked.

"Elena…stay away. The i.v.'s are helping, but I need to---"

"I know. That's why I'm here."

"Wha---no! No, I won't do that to you!" Damon gently pushed his brother back into a laying down position.

"It's okay, Stefan. I know this is the only way."

"Damon's idea?"

"No. Mine."

"It'll kill you."

"Not if you don't take it all."

"No. I---I can't." Even as he protested, Elena sat next to him and moved her hair aside, leaving her neck exposed. Stefan could feel himself changing, and tried to stop it.

"It's okay. It's okay." Stefan sat up and before he could change his mind, Elena grabbed his head and buried his teeth into her neck, letting Damon steady her as Stefan drank frantically. It was mere moments when the darkness came for her.