A/N: Story summary: Stefan has embraced his ripper side and is under Klaus's compulsion to protect Elena. He protects her from bodily harm, but his lack of humanity leads him to finding any chance to belittle and torture Elena and Damon both physically and mentally. Damon and Elena are torturing themselves by denying their true feelings for each other. Elena was recently shot and admitted her feelings in her own deathbed confession. She was saved by Damon's blood. Even though Elena was shot she managed to vervain Stefan so they could lock him up. Please review!

Disclaimer: Do not own the Vampire Diaries show or characters.

Chapter 10

Damon headed to the cellar to check on Stefan. He had been locked up with no blood for a week.

"It's bad enough you and Elena have me stuck down here in an attempt to dry me out, but I don't need the frequent visits."

"But its family bonding day in vampire rehab." Damon circled around Stefan. He leaned over behind him and whispered in his ear. "Tell me Stefan, how do you feel."

"Go away Damon" he said dropping his head back to his chest.

Damon moved to the front of him cocking his head to the side eyeing Stefan. "You really have given up haven't you?"

Without thinking, Damon moved over to Stefan and broke the chains that bound him to the chair. Stefan looked at him with surprise. Damon walked out the cellar door paused and turn around to face Stefan. "I, for one could use a drink, how about you?" Damon smirked as he jogged upstairs.

Stefan got up and walked out of cell heading for the stairs. A blood bag hit Stefan in the chest and he caught it before it hit the floor. He looked up and saw Damon at the top of the stairs. "Drink up, brother. Can't have a ripper rampage spoiling my fun."

A short time later Damon and Stefan walk into a dive bar on the outskirts of Mystic Falls. There was awful country music blaring and lots of plaid shirt and denim clad customers sitting at dingy tables and at the bar.

Damon felt his phone vibrating in his pocket. "Damon's phone" he answered in his usually cocky tone.

"Damon, how's Stefan?" Elena heard music through the phone. "Where are you?"

"Not really sure, but I think I am highly over dressed." Damon looked around as strode through the bar with a look of slight disgust.

"I'll be at the bar" Stefan said coldly walking past Damon.

"Is that Stefan? You let him out?" Elena asked her anger rising.

"I'm going off book. I know what I'm doing E-L-E-N-A." Damon hung up moving to lean against the bar next to Stefan.

"What are we drinking?"

"Something a little warmer, a little blonder." Stefan gave a half wave to the female blonde bartender that was heading their way. The blonde smiled at the Salvatore brothers.

Damon looked down and eyed bartender's name tag. "Callie, I will have a shot of your best whiskey." Damon flashed her a smile then looked into Callie's eyes "And my brother would also like a drink." He grabbed her wrist and using his body to hide what would come next, handed her wrist to Stefan.

"What's the catch Damon."

"No catch brother, it's on me." Damon said with a grin.

Stefan grabbed her wrist and drank greedily. Callie just had a dazed look on her face from Damon's compulsion. After a few moments Stefan let her wrist go.

Damon knocks back his shot and motioned for a bottle. The brothers move to a table and start playing quarters.

Stefan sunk a quarter perfectly in the glass. "Who knew Saint Stefan would be good at a drinking game."

"Its precision born out boredom. All those years on the bunny diet that allowed me contemplate the guilt, feel the weight of the world, wallowing in self loathing."

"All that effort wasted trying to tell you how boring you were and you finally agree with me?" Damon sat bank in his chair with a smug look on his face.

"You're just jealous that I am living life on the edge now."

"I happen to like living on the edge Stefan, it's your inability to keep from falling off of it that is the problem. You're all or nothing. You can't just be." Damon was growing frustrated with Stefan. He got up and headed to the bar motioning to the bartender as he went for another round for himself and Stefan.

Damon lounged against the bar leaning on his elbows. Stefan sauntered up next to him crossing his arms and facing Damon. 'Fess up, Damon. What's really with the jailbreak?"

"I thought you could use a hug Stefan." Damon jests throwing back a shot.

"You know Elena will be mad and we both know you care what she thinks" Stefan said with a sneer.

Damon turns to face Stefan his eyes on fire. He didn't like him brining up Elena and he certainly did not like Stefan throwing his feeling about Elena in his face. "You've give up. You can be Klaus's little bitch or you can do something about it." Damon stood up to his full height glaring at Stefan. "You seem to have had no problem being a complete dick to me, why not take some that pent up sibling hostility and use it against Klaus."

Stefan was leaning back against the bar about to make a snide remark when a man suddenly stood before them. He was of average height dressed in a blazer and dress pants.

"I may be able to help with taking care of Klaus."

Damon snapped his head in the man's direction. "The Salvatore Brother's I presume."

Stefan slowly stood up straight. "Michael."

"Correct. I am looking for Klaus and I understand you can help me find him." Michael said staring Stefan down. Damon was looking from Michael to his brother watching the events unfold.

"Where is Klaus?" Michael asked.

"Can't tell you."

"When was the last time you spoke with him."

"Can't tell you. I am compelled to do what he says and he says to keep my mouth shut." Stefan said arms crossed staring down at Michael.

Michael suddenly plunged his hand into Damon's chest, squeezing his heart. "Careful Stefan, one wrong move and his heart is gone. Now, where is Klaus." Damon grunts in pain as Michael and Stefan stare at each. "One twist and he's dead, unless you don't care of course."

"He can't care. He's been compelled to turn his emotions off." Damon wheezed glancing at Stefan to see if there was any reaction.

"Come on Stefan. Is your link to Klaus so strong that you would let you brother die?"

Stefan looked torn and he looked quickly from Michael to Damon. Stefan was trying to figure out a way to answer Michael that would be allowed by the compulsion Klaus put on him. Not receiving a response from Stefan yet he turned to Damon. "You're right he is a dead end, and so are you Damon."

"Wait" Stefan said reaching out to touch Michael's arm as Damon continued to feel his heart being squeezed. "I can bring him back. I can Klaus to Mystic Falls."

Michael smiled and pulled his hand from Damon's chest eliciting a gasp from Damon who then slumped against the bar. Michael reached for a towel that was had been left on the bar wiping Damon's blood from his hand.

"Now that wasn't so hard was it?" Michael said with a sneer. He tossed the bloody towel back on the bar. "Bring Klaus back to Mystic Falls and I will gladly drive a stake into his heart. Fail and I will drive it through yours" he said leaning towards Stefan. Damon and Stefan blinked and he was gone.

Not wanting to hang around in case Michael wanted another chat, Damon headed out to the car with Stefan at his shoulder seeming just as eager to leave.

"I give you ten points for flare" Damon quipped. "Certainly waited until the last second to have your break through."

"I didn't have a break through" Stefan said picking up his pace.

"Ooohhh, my brother is about to die and I have to save him for like the billionth time." Damon slaps Stefan on the back giving him a sidelong glance. "Better watch out, Brother, you're humanity is showing."

Stefan stopped walking. Sensing Stefan was no longer moving, Damon turned back around to face him. "You're right Damon. You reminded me what my freedom felt like. And when we kill Klaus, I'll be free. Free to leave. Not tied to anything or anyone."

Damon looked away chuckling at Stefan. Stefan caught his eye, "You see, I didn't do this for you Damon. I did it for myself."

Damon snickered and whispered "Sure Stefan, whatever you say." He turns around to get into the car. Stefan grabbed his shoulder forcing Damon to face him again.

"Why are you doing this? What do you want from me? Why is everyone trying to save me?" Stefan asked the anger obvious on his face.

"Because I have to Stefan." Damon shot back his anger boiling over. "Because you're in this mess with Klaus because you saved my life. Because I owe you. You're my brother and I can't let you just sit and rot. Plus there is girl at home that loves you and hopes that the man she loves can be saved."

"Aahh, better be careful brother. You're humanity is showing." Stefan could sense Damon's anger rising to the surface and decided to push more. "Appealing to the love I once had for Elena won't do any good Damon. That love isn't worth going back to Stefan that snacked on Wild Kingdom."

This caused Damon to lose the control of the anger that boiling inside him. He punched Stefan knocking him to the ground. Stefan looked up Damon with smirk and blurred at him, but Damon anticipated and threw him to the ground. Once he was down he kicked him in the ribs. Stefan just laid on the ground and laughed.

A/N: Writer's block has somewhat set in I am not super happy with this chapter. Please review, I welcome suggestions! I known all along how I want to end this, but have been struggling to transition to the end. I used the episode 8 Ordinary People to help with the some of the transition. Next chapter is Damon/Elena focused so stay tuned…..