Author's Note:

Modhem: Maybe it just might happen, You never know!;)

Hipster for life: Thanks for your review. To answer your questions:

1. I know that Stefan and Nikki are super close in age, but there's a twist to that factor that will most likely be explained in the next few chapters. They're not as close in age, as I've let on!;)

Lol, anyways..

2. Haha, I doubt people do in modern days say yes sir/no sir to their siblings. Although for this story, considering that Damon and Stefan are the only siblings she has, they basically raised her, and the fact that they were raised in the 1800's I think that she should say yes sir/no sir, especially when she's in trouble, no harm in sucking up, right?;)

You're awesome, and I'm so glad you like the story, hope you continue to enjoy it!

Now to continue with the story...

Stefan walked up the stairs, and knocked on Nicole's door. There was no answer, "Nikki, It's Stefan." Still no answer, he opened the door slightly, and saw her laying on the bed with her headphones in, facing away from the door. It looked like she was drawing something. He got closer to her, and touched her shoulder, "Nikki."

She screamed slightly, and jumped away from him, yanked out one of her headphones, and yelled, "Stefan! Don't do that! You can't just sneak up on a person like that!"

Stefan chuckled a little at her, "Sorry, Nikki. I said your name a couple times."

"Everything okay up there?" Damon yelled up the stairs.

"Yeah. Everything's fine. It seems neither of you know the proper etiquette of knocking." Nikki yelled back.

"I'm sorry, did I hear that right?" Damon asked appearing at her door.

Nicole let out a nervous laugh, and stuttered, "Just..kidding.."

Damon just narrowed his eyes at her, and smirked then walked back downstairs.

"I did knock," Stefan stated, walking over to where the pad of paper had landed.

"Whatever," Nicole replied sarcastically. She walked accross the room to pick up her pencil, "What are you doing up here anyways?"

"I just wanted to talk," Stefan stated picking up the pad of paper she was drawing on, "Did you draw this?"

Nicole looked embarrassed, and walked over, "Yeah I did. I know it's not that good-."

"Are you kidding me? That's..Amazing Nikki." Stefan stated handing her the notebook back. "I didn't know you could draw."

"It's just doodling Stefan, not that big of a deal." Nicole replied smiling slightly, closing her notebook.

"That's just doodling? I'd love to see your real stuff." Stefan stated smiling at her.

"Thanks." Nicole replied, looking at him questionably. "So you wanted to talk?"

"Yeah, come sit with me." He said, sitting down on her bed, and patting the spot next to him.

"Listen Stefan. If this is about today, I'm really sorry I didn't tell you as soon as I got in the car. I just figured you'd be mad at me, and I knew I'd have to tell Damon when I got home, and that I'd probably get in trouble either way, so might as well get in trouble at one time-." Nicole started to explain very fast, Stefan could hardly keep up with what she was saying.

"Nikki. Stop!" Stefan replied walking over to her, and putting his hands on her shoulders. "What happened today, it's over and done with. Don't worry about it. I just want to talk, okay?"

"Okay?" Nicole replied still cautious of his true meaning.

"Come sit down, please?" Stefan asked looking into her eyes. They both walked over to her bed, and sat opposite of each other.

"So what's up? Did I do something else?" Nicole asked.

Stefan smirked, "Unless you want to confess to something?"

"Umm no thanks, I think I've been in enough trouble this weekened, without incriminating myself any further." Nicole replied smiling.

"Very smart," Stefan replied, winking at her. "So..Can we talk?"

"Isn't that what we're doing?" Nicole asked sarcastically.

"No, I mean really talk, Nikki." Stefan stated.

"Okay. Seriously. What did I do?" Nicole asked.

"You sure have a guilty conscience," Stefan stated.

"Can you really blame me?" Nicole asked with an obvious look.

"No..You're too much like Damon not to always be in some kind of trouble." Stefan stated loud enough so Damon could hear.

Nicole laughed a little, "The only bad thing about being like Damon is, he always knows when I'm doing something wrong. You can't believe how frustrating that is."

"That's the ONLY bad thing about being like Damon?" Stefan asked, smiling at her.

"Stefan," Nicole replied, rolling her eyes at him. "So, you wanted to talk?"

"Yes. I want to get to know you, Nicole." Stefan replied.

"You do know me Stefan. I'm your annoying little sister, who's too much like your annoying older brother." Nicole replied with a smirk. "We've lived with each other for nearly a century and a half, on and off. You get to know a person quite well in that amount of time. It's pretty hard not to."

"I don't know you though, Nikki. I hardly know anything about you. I've lived with you almost the same amount of time Damon has, yet he knows literaly everything about you." Stefan explained.

"I wouldn't say he knows everything." Nicole replied.

"Come on, Nikki." Stefan looked at her doubtfully. "He knows when you're in trouble-."

"Not the thing I would want you to know about me, you know how irritating it is to NEVER get away with ANYTHING?" Nicole asked sarcastically.

"I'm not just talking you getting into trouble at school, I'm talking when you get into real danger." Stefan stated.

"You do too, Stefan. You usually know when I'm in danger." Nicole started.

"Usually, Nicole. Usually is the key word. I don't always know, he does." Stefan replied. "He knew you were dating Jeremy before I did, and he was only in town for an hour-."

"You knew, you just didn't want to admit it." Nicole replied.

"He knows when things are bugging you." Stefan added.

"Stefan, you're constantly aware of my feelings." Nicole stated rolling her eyes, "sometimes a little too much."

"He knows what you're thinking, even before you've thought it." Stefan stated.

"So.. Damon does that to you too, sometimes." Nicole retorted.

"Damon can-." Stefan started.

"Stefan stop! All this is, is a competition between you and Damon. To see who knows me better. I'm not a prize to be won. I'm your little sister who loves the two of you..EQUALLY..and you guys need to get that through your head, the quicker the better." Nicole explained slightly irritated.

"Does he know you can draw?" Stefan asked.

"What?" Nicole asked, scrunching her eyebrows together.

"Does he know you can draw?" Stefan repeated.

"What does that have to do with anything?" Nicole asked. Stefan didn't answer her, just waited for her reply, "Yes Stefan, he knows I can draw. So what?"

"I never knew you could draw, Nicole." Stefan stated quietly.

"What?" Nicole replied slightly confused.

"I never knew you could draw." Stefan repeated. "Century and a half, Nikki. A century and a half of having you as a little sister, and I never knew you could draw."

"Stefan.. so what...It doesn't matter whether or not you knew I could draw. It's not that big of a deal. Just because you didn't know that one fact about me, doesn't mean anything." Nicole stated.

"It's not just one fact Nicole. Damon. knows. Everything." Stefan stated.

"Stefan. Damon's taken the time to get to know everything about me. He's had to be my brother/father and even a mother at times. Of course he'll never admit to being a mother." Nicole expalained smirking at the last part, Stefan smiled. "Damon's always been there for me, and so have you in a way, but Stefan I... " Nicole paused for a moment, thought about what she was going to say, and then continued, "I was your 13 year old little sister, Stefan. I annoyed you more than anyone when we were growing up, even more than Damon. You didn't want to know me, you wanted to get away from me."

Stefan looked down, Nicole softened her voice, "Stefan. Look at me." He looked up, "It's fine, I understand. I was fine with you not wanting to be around me. I didn't really want to be around you either. You picked on me ALL the time, you were my annoying 17 year old goody goody brother who could never do anything wrong in anyone's eyes."

Stefan smiled at what she said, "Come on, I didn't pick on you ALL the time." Nicole just raised her eyebrows, Stefan laughed, "Okay, maybe I picked on you a little too much." Nicole kept staring at him in disbelief. "Okay, I picked on you a lot. But, hey what are big brothers for?"

"Exactly, Stefan. That's why it never bothered me not to be close like Damon, and I are. The thing is Stefan, Damon and I aren't close because he never picked on me, because he did, and we aren't close because we're so much alike. It's because he protected me from...things. He was the oldest, he always tried to protect both of us. Even at the cost of his own pain. " Nicole explained.

"The cost of his own pain? What?" Stefan asked confused. "What did he protect you from?" Stefan asked.

"Don't worry about it, Stefan." Nicole replied.

"Protect you from what?" Stefan asked a little sterner, "From Dad?"

"It's been years Stefan, no use bringing it up now." Nicole stated.

"This is what I'm talking about, Nicole. Damon protected you from something..something I don't even know about...something that happened years ago. I deserve to know, Nicole." Stefan stated.

"Why Stefan? So you can prove once again that Damon's always been there for me? Let's just say he has, and move on. Please, I don't want to talk about this." Nicole replied tears starting to form in her eyes.

"I..I'm sorry Nicole. I didn't mean to make you cry. I just want to be a good big brother, and be there for you, like-." Stefan started, moving closer to Nicole, and wrapping his arm around her.

"Like Damon is, I know." Nicole replied, wiping a tear away from her eyes. Then she turned to look at him, "Stefan. I don't want another brother like Damon. I already have Damon. I want a brother like you, one who's not my brother/father/mother, I want a brother who's JUST my brother, even if I have to deal with you being a strict brother."

Stefan smiled at her, and pulled her into a tight hug, "I love you so much, Nicole. I'd do anything for you."

Nicole smiled, "I know Stefan, you both would. I swear one of these days I'll be big enough to kick your butts for getting in so much trouble for me."

"Hah, I doubt that." Stefan stated.

"Hey, don't crush my dream. One of these days it'll happen." Nicole replied, winking at her brother. Stefan's smile, turned into a frown, "Now what's wrong, Stefan?"

"I'm sorry, Nicole." Stefan said.

"For what?" Nicole asked clearly dumbfounded.

"That you weren't able to grow up. We tried so hard to protect you, to keep you human, but it just-." Stefan started.

"Stefan. We've been over this before. I don't blame you, it's not your fault, and it's not Damon's fault. You guys got me to 16, that's 3 years past when you guys should have turned me." Nicole stated.

"Nicole, We shouldn't have had to turn you at all, we were trying to make sure you had a long life." Stefan replied.

Nicole stared at him in shock, "Stefan, you do realize I've lived over a 150 years, right? I think I've had a long life."

"You know what I mean, Nikki. It was never meant for you to become a vampire." Stefan stated sadly.

"Too late now. Plus I never wanted to grow old, while my big brothers stayed forever young. I begged you guys to turn me when you two did, but noooooooo, you guys wanted me to grow up. Although, I am pretty thankful you guys didn't turn me at 13." Nicole replied with a smirk. "I mean I'd be forever stuck in a 13 year old's body, and not have this hot looking one now."

"You're crazy, you know that." Stefan stated, shaking his head at her.

"Well I do have the best teachers," Nicole retorted.

He hugged her once again, and then walked over to the door, he looked back once again, and said, "I love you, Nikki."

Nicole smiled at him, "Love you too, Stef." Stefan started to close the door, "Oh, Stefan. I don't know if it makes you feel any better, but I didn't even know I could draw until the 20's, so it's not like you didn't know this my whole life, it only took you..94 years to figure out."

"Oh yeah, that makes me feel so much better, Nikki." Stefan replied rolling his eyes.

"Glad I could help." Nicole stated putting one headphone in.

"Such a little girl, yet you have so much evil in you. Have I told you lately how much it scares me that you and Damon are so alike?" Stefan asked.

"Yes Stefan, you have. That's the greatest compliment you could ever give me." Nicole replied with a devious smile.

Stefan closed the door behind him, and walked down the stairs. He figured Damon would be waiting for him, but he wasn't.

He walked into the study, and there Damon was with a glass of blood in his hand, staring into the fire place "Well. That was heartwarming."

"What did you protect her from when we were still humans?" Stefan asked, crossing his arms.

Damon drained the rest of his glass, and continued looking into the fire.

"Something happened with father didn't it? What did he do?" Stefan asked.

"Nothing you need to be worried about." Damon replied setting the glass on the table, and walking past him. "I took care of it."

Stefan grabbed his arm as he walked by, "Did he hit her?"

"You know I'd never let that happen," Damon stated coldly, then looked down at his arm, "Let go, Stefan."

Stefan let go, "Why won't you two tell me?"

"Because there's no point in telling you. It was a long time ago, don't worry about it. I tried my best as a big brother to protect you both when we were still humans. As vampires all I need to do is protect her, as for you..you can take care of yourself." Damon expalined walking out of the room.

Damon sprinted up the stairs, and knocked on Nicole's door. "Come in." Damon peeked his head in, and smiled at her.

"You know I love you right?" Nicole asked.

Damon scrunched his face, as if he was confused, "Yeah, why?"

"Just making sure." Nicole stated. "Thank you."

Damon walked over, and jumped on her bed, making her bounce up in the air, and laid down beside her, "For what?"

"For always protecting me." Nicole replied smiling at him.

"It's my job, Nikki." Damon replied, smiling and moving to hug her.

"You still protect him too, even if you don't want to admit it. I know you just as much as you know me, Damon." Nicole stated. Damon just put his finger up to his lips, as if to shush her, and then pointed to his ear. Nicole nodded her head in understandment, and then yelled, "He loves you, Stef-!" Damon covered her mouth, just not in time.

Stefan smiled downstairs.

He glared at her, but it was a happy glare, she mumbled something under his hand. He lifted his hand, and she whispered, "I love you both."

"I love you too, even if you're a pain at times." Damon stated, she snuggled up to him. "By the way, you'll never get big enough to kick our butts."

"You're two are ruining my dream." Nicole stated glaring at him.

"No more dreaming about it either, it's our job to always get in trouble for you. Better us than you. We can take it."

"That's what you always said when-." Nicole started, but he put his hand back over her mouth, and shushed her again.

"I think I'm going to crash a little early, goodnight, Nikki. Love you." Damon kissed her on top of her head, and walked over to the door.

"I love you, Damon." Nicole replied as he shut her door.

"Love you too, Nikki." Damon said in the hallway.

Hope you all enjoyed this chapter!

You all are AMAZING!

Review, and let me know what you think!:)