Stefan's POV

I woke up abruptly from someone's knocking on our front door. I practically jumped out of fear, not sure what's going on-I've just come home a few hours ago, after taking two shifts at the hospital and I was tired like hell, but Joseph wouldn't fall asleep right away-he was so eager to walk around the house, even though he was still so wobbly and unstable and fell all the time-I had to go after him and watch his every step, because he scared the hell out of me.

I was on pin and needles that he'll break his nose or bruise himself and cry all night long. He ended up crying anyway, for some reason he wasn't very calm that evening and my brother was so tired from work as well, that I felt bad for not giving him the opportunity to catch on his sleep. I think eventually he just fell, but I have no idea how long it took him. I, on the other hand, had such a hard time making my son fall asleep that I wished Lexi wasn't working tonight so she would help me, but lately things in her life were way too messed up and I didn't have the guts to ask her to take her shift another time-she needed the money just like I did.

When I looked at the clock, I realized it's four in the morning and I tried hard not to panic. I had no idea who it could be, but I was sincerely hoping it wasn't Enzo.

"I'm coming, goddammit!" I cursed as I was trying to put my jeans on and rushed to the door. The street light was throwing a shadow of a male figure outside and I swallowed hard. I knew it was most probably Tom and that made me shiver-God, please, I can't go outside in the middle of the night just to kick someone's ass right now, because he said so. I don't know how long I can keep going on like this.

"Salvatoreeee!" it was him indeed. When I finally opened the door, he welcomed me with a yell and stretched his hands. I didn't even have the chance to leave the house, before I felt his hand on my shoulder, gripping me and pulling me outside.

He was drunk. Extremely drunk. He was actually holding a bottle of whiskey in his right hand and it splashed a little over his clothes when he picked up the bottle in order to take another sip.

"Come on! It's your lucky night!" he laughed out loud as he stumbled up and almost fell until I caught him.

I noticed that he was alone, without the two other bodyguards, who were usually surrounding him and following his every move. He wasn't with the big black SUV either, on the contrary, he has parked an old red Ford in front of our small broken house and for the first time he seemed so normal to me. I saw him as a regular teenage, who seemed to be trying to drown his problems in alcohol.

I hated Tom-he was ruthless and he didn't give a damn what he had to do to get what he wants, but I couldn't imagine what it must be like for him to have such a father.

Oh well, I wasn't about to feel bad for the guy-he was the reason I was so screwed up right now-I've caught myself hating him on so many occasions, there were nights I dreamt of doing nothing else, but getting it back at him, but I couldn't-I wasn't that type of guy. I wouldn't seek revenge. Yes, I would feel bad, I will hate him, but I won't ever do anything else, because I wasn't him and if one day by some awful turn of circumstances, I do become him, I would either take my own life or ask Enzo to just shoot me.

"Tom, what's going on?" I asked, both surprised and confused to why on earth did he thought of coming here when he was dead drunk

"I said come on, Salvatore." he got slightly irritated "Can you for once do something when I ask you to and stop with the stupid questions!"

"Okay, fine, just a minute" I went back inside and woke Damon up, only to urge him to get to the kitchen and watch Joe, who was already crying from the noise Tom has made. I was scared he could fall of the crib since he was so energetic lately. Damon cursed a lot and I couldn't even give him a proper explanation except for-It's Avery, which made him shut up and go to the kitchen without asking many questions. I grabbed my jacket and ran outside only to find Tom singing something on our porch and I mentally cursed him, hoping the neighbors won't see our enemy number one on the doorstep and start hating me.

Tom slightly staggered as he went down the stairs, but when I tried to catch him and help him. he just pushed me away and scolded me saying he's fine.

"Maybe I should drive?" I asked as I saw him searching for the keys in his pockets until he realized they were still in the car, right where he left them.

"Shut up! I'm driving." he responded harshly, but with a big sarcastic smile on his face. I swear to god that the day I figure this guy and his behavior, I might actually have a chance to leave this warehouse in one piece.

We got in and he drove off, so fast that I was sure we would end up somewhere off the road, in a gutter and nobody will ever know what the hell happened, but I swallowed my fear once he slowed down a little bit before taking a big turn leading us outside town.

He was heading for the part of town full of rich people's lake houses. I'm pretty sure the Gilberts had a property here somewhere as well, but the Averies-theirs was the biggest and the most valuable one-it looked like a palace. I've been here just a few times, but it was enough for me to decide that I hate this place.

"Tom, what are we doing here?" I asked again, trying desperately to find a reason for him waking me up so abruptly and out of nowhere. A reason which wasn't the liquor in his blood.

"Was that your kid crying in the house when we were leaving?"" he asked instead, now seeming somehow more sober, even though he was still taking a sip every now and then from the bottle of whiskey.

I nodded and he grew extremely angry in just matter of minutes-yes Joe woke up once he heard all that noise, that's why I made Damon go take care of him. I couldn't figure out how this had anything to do with us being here tonight.

"No kid should cry like that." he gripped the wheel and sped up "No, kid, Salvatore. I thought you knew that. Aren't you a foster child?" he didn't wait for me to answer, instead he continued, it seemed as if he was talking to himself "You shouldn't leave him crying like this, it will fuck him up, like it fucked me up."

"He just woke up from the noise." I tried explaining, while ignoring his last comment, because I knew it would only make me feel bad for him and I couldn't allow this "My brother will take care of him."

"Good, that's better." he calmed down and I let the breath, that I was holding up until now.

Tom surpassed their enormous mansion and continued up the road, which to me seemed to be leading nowhere, but once he finally slowed down, I realized we were on top of this small rocky hill, from where you could see the entire town, and the lights coming from all those houses here. It was like a vanity of all the different lives people led, reflected by the lights coming from the windows. Once we were out I realized our neighborhood is the darkest part of town, the saddest and the almost invisible one whist the Avery's mansion and even the warehouse where we fought, near the docks, was distinguishable from such a distance.

Tom left the almost empty bottle in the car, which made me relax a bit. I saw him getting out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket as he leaned on the hood of the old red Ford. He offered me one and I accepted, because he wasn't in the mood for fights right now and I realized that. We lit them up and remained in silence for a few minutes, as he was probably trying to figure our himself, what we were doing here-he wasn't thinking straight at the moment.

"You and me are leaving for Richmond tomorrow" he announced after he let a deep sight out

"What for?" I wasn't really surprised by his words anymore. He could be nice and laughing one minute and pressing me to the ground the next.

"There was a problem with a shipment of ours" he announced calmly, as if I was in on all their business arrangements, when in fact I was only certain that they deal with drugs, which they were covering very well, obviously, since Enzo couldn't catch them. "We have to fix things with our partners there, who are extremely angry right now and my father's sending me. He suggested I take someone for back up. In case things get heated."

"Will they?" I realized this was a really stupid question the moment I let it slip. He gave me a devilish smile and stood up, only to move his hands to the back and pull out a gun from his jeans. This surprised me a lot and I almost jumped from the hood, which made him smile.

"Relax, I won't use it on you." he seemed strangely sober by now "Unless you piss me off of course, which won't happen right?" I nodded and he patted me on the shoulder "This one's for you." he explained

"I'm not killing people, Tom" I said through teeth, but that didn't anger him, not this time at least, it only made him chuckle.

"You won't be killing anyone." he explained "Cause if you do, my father would most probably shoot you without blinking. I'll be the one doing whatever needs to be done" he said and swallowed hard, he seemed so pale and scared in this moment, his hand, the one holding the gun was slightly trembling and I realized he's not prepared for whatever was waiting for him tomorrow, either.

"But in case I need some back up, just aim for the legs or the arms, okay?" he cleared out, implying that he might actually need my help tomorrow "Do you know how to use it?"

"No" I've never even held such a thing until he shoved it in my hands

"Then now you'll learn."

"Tom, I don't think I'm your guy for this" I tried pulling up a fight again, without actually pissing him off. "Maybe you should choose someone else."

"No, Salvatore" he sighted, tired from my constant complaining "You're coming with me. There will be a game that we'll watch as well. Father wants to brag with our fighters, so you might have to be involved in one of them and you're our best fighter. Actually, my best fighter." he bended on his last words.

This wasn't just a deal thing, he wanted to prove his father, that he could do what he was send for and that I, his property, would blow everyone away.

"I need someone I could rely on for this thing." he admitted, and I realized he's only acting so nicely right now because he was drink and probably wasn't even letting half of his words sink in. "And you're an asshole, Stefan. A very disobedient, stubborn, breaking all my orders, asshole-that's why I like you. That's why I'm taking you."

"Tom I-"

"But make no mistake, Salvatore" he was back to being serious, not a trace of anything joyful on his face "If you disobey me, I won't just beat your ass like a few weeks back, do you understand this?" he threw the cigarette on the ground and stomped it "And next time your kid starts crying his lungs out, your brother might not be at home to calm him down." he gripped the gun he has shoved in my hands, which I was holding so stupidly wrong that I could shoot myself without realizing it.

He grabbed it and pressed it in my stomach. The situation, as usually with Tom, changed within minutes, but the thing is, just like before when he beat me in front of Elena, I wasn't really worried. Not about myself at least-all I could think was his last words about my brother

"Do you understand?"

We stared at each other for some time-he could see the hatred burning in my eyes and the worst of it all-he enjoyed it. Just to remind me of his questions, he pressed the gun again, harder now, demanding an answer.

"Yes, I understand." I let out through teeth

"Great." he pulled back "Now let's teach you how to use a gun."

Elena's POV

I have just finished classes and after the first good day I had in weeks, I was rushing to the hospital. But not because I was eager to help my father or learn something new-no, I was tired of studying for the exams and I wasn't up to seeing anything bloody at the moment-I wanted to talk to Stefan, because I've realized something on my way home.

It hit me like a hurricane, it made me both very mad and extremely glad, that I have someone like him in my life. Though, then again, I wasn't sure if he was part of it-I still had no idea what we were.

In the past week after he got out of Beth's loft, I've seen him a bunch of times. After everything with Matt went down, I was afraid to be on my own for too long-I was either sticking up with Caroline, though I didn't enjoy her company much-she was going crazy with all the assignments we had lately and her biggest problem has always been what dress to wear on the party this Friday, or when at the hospital, I was usually talking to the nurses or to Trevor, Henry and well Stefan.

He saw that things aren't really good with me, so he would ask me out to grab a coffee from the cafeteria or he found me in my father's office and came to tease me-he liked to fool around, poke me, tickle me, pull my hair-in other words, he was a five year old, who had a really sad big tired eyes and a hopeless expression.

We haven't talked on much serious issues-he has asked me how are things at home, but I just told him mom is still here and her and dad are fighting all the time, when he's not in the hospital.

I skipped the issues I still had with Matt, because I knew that would infuriate him, but I guess he had figured it all on his own and done something about it, since today at school Matt only furrowed his eyebrows as he passed by me, but did nothing like the things he tried before. His eye was blue, he was limping and his hand-the same one he used when he bruised me all those times, was wrapped in a bloody dirty bandage.

I passed by the ambulances and when I saw Trevor and Henry, they politely greeted me and said that Stefan went inside to get some supplies, after which they'll probably go grab lunch.

I barely made it inside without running-I couldn't figure out what I was feeling-was it gratitude, or was it anger that he has involved himself in this when I told him that he shouldn't. What if Matt has hurt him, huh? It wasn't highly possible, considering the fact that Stefan fights every week for Tom Avery, but still, what if? How could I live with myself then, knowing it was all my fault? That idiot!

I didn't even knock on the door of the storage room and I guess I should've been grateful that there was no one else but Stefan inside. He turned around and dropped one of the bandages he was holding once he saw me and how infuriated I was. He loved seeing me angry-it made him gloat.

"Hello, Gilbert!"

"Wipe that smirk of your face, Salvatore!" I approached him angrily and he put the box he was holding on the plot behind him. We were so close to each other, I could sense his usual smell-a mix of cigarettes, bourbon and strangely-even in the winter-of freshly cut grass. I have no idea why he smelled like this but it was honestly driving me insane.

"I see that you're pissed." he crossed his hands on his chest "Maybe I can do something to lighten up your mood?" here he goes again, throwing all those snarky sexy remarks at me-he loved it. And I did it as well, only now I wasn't in the mood for this game.

"Did you do something to Matt?" I ask directly and he furrows his eyebrows, pretending to be confused.

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Gilbert." his hands leave his chest and he leans on the plot, while shrugging his shoulders at me as if he's the most innocent human being.

"Cut the crap, Stefan! I know it was you. I saw him today and he looked like a ghost."

"Well good for him." he grew a little irritated as well, he seemed so tired to me. He wasn't himself ever since he took a day off from work at the beginning of the week. I wondered what the hell happened that it made him look even more hopeless than he already was.

"You can yell for as long as you want, Gilbert" he wasn't in a defensive mode anymore, he took a step closer to me, trying to desperately prove his point "I saw the expression on your face and how you came out of the bathroom crying every goddamn time, as well as the bruise on your wrist. Again. If you expected me to just sit around and watch all this, then you have no clue about me at all."

I looked him in the eyes and we stared at each other for a moment-both so angry with the other. There was something else between us, though-that push and pull that appeared from the moment he saved my brother and held me in his hands.

He was wearing a white shirt, which was obviously too small for him-I could see the muscles underneath it-he has gotten even stronger in the past few months and I admit it-he was hot. I don't know why, but I wondered if the bruises on his ribs were still there-or maybe I was thinking about it because that's another time I saw him half-naked.

"Why did you do it?" I asked, trying to distract myself from the picture before me.

"For god's sakes when will you stop asking me this question every time I do something nice for you?" he responded angrily and threw his hands in the air, but somehow he ended up being even closer to-I swear to God he was driving me insane.

I can't remember the last time I was staring at a boy like this-I wasn't the typical girl, who would talk about his best girlfriend about being all over a guy. I didn't want to have anything serious with anyone, not after Matt, but I can't deny that I've thought of kissing Stefan. Especially that afternoon last week when Trevor send me to wake him up and tell him it's time to get back to his shift and I found him asleep on one of the stretchers. He was having a nightmare, his face was tormented, he was yelling for someone to come back to him and he mentioned some girl's name.

I caught his hand, but he didn't wake up right away-when he finally did, for a moment it was a bit awkward, and then it wasn't-it was okay, normal. And that's what I needed right now-since everything else was screwed up, I wanted normality.

"Because I need an honest answer!"

"Then you know why." he whispered, we were so close to each other, I felt as if he was leaning on purpose towards me-his breath was tickling my ear. I looked up again, and I our noses almost touched. I felt his hand on my neck-his touch was cold and it made me shiver. Or maybe I was too hot.

"Because you hate me." I responded and he smiled

"Yes, because I hate you" he answered as he pressed his lips on mine.

The next thing I remember is helping him get rid of this damn white tight shirt.

Stefan's POV

It was late in the evening and I was hiding behind one of the metal containers on the docks, trying to eavesdrop on the Averies, who were waiting for a big and important shipment to arrive. I learned all this from Tom, the day that we traveled to Richmond. I overheard him talking on the phone and I tried to remembered the date and the hour so that I can come down here, desperate to finally do something that could be of any use to Enzo-I needed to get out of this situation and I wasn't up for waiting anymore.

But I was tired, oh God, I was so tired-Joe's been so restless lately, he wouldn't want to sleep at all, which resulted in me not sleeping as well and I've just finished another shift at the hospital. I can't remember the last time I got some decent sleep. I think it was the day after Tom and I got back from Richmond, which was a trip I've wished we haven't taken, because it turned my life and my opinion on this guy around.

I silently moved behind another container, so I can be closer to the people waiting on the harbor-one of them was for sure John Avery, which meant that whatever was going on here, was important, because he rarely dealt with such stuff if it was just a simple shipment.

The others I could recognize was Tom, as well as two of his bodyguards, the rest of them-more than five people, were unknown to me and it was hard to distinguish anyone from here, since the place was very dark, which is probably why they chose it.

I think I recognized Alaric's blond hair, but I don't believe he's such an important figure for them to include him in something so secretive-then again what did I know? Maybe he wasn't just a guy who trained the poor idiots involved in the fights like me.

I sighed as I leaned on the metal construction and closed my eyes for a moment, thinking about Elena and what happened earlier today. The guys out there weren't talking about anything of importance so I allowed myself to rest a bit before going back on edge-Enzo always said I have to be calm when I'm spying. I was just trying not to think of them catching me here, which is why I drifted away back to the storage room and what has happened there.

When we were over, I had no idea how much time passed. I could only think of her breath so close next to me, and her hair tickling my shoulder. I've pinned her to the wall, and when I looked up, I stared at her brown eyes, without being even slightly ashamed that we're completely naked.

She seemed confused, after what've just happened here. I assume she wasn't the type of girl who just slept around with random guys. Then again-was I random? What were we to each other?

I've been with many girls after Rebekah died, especially in the first few months when I couldn't accept the fact that she's not there-I wanted to make the pain stop, to convince myself that I'm not hurting that much. I even thought that she'll appear from somewhere and kick my ass, make a scene and yell at me in front of the random girls I was using to dull my pain with, but she never came.

Because she was dead.

I smiled at Elena and after a while, as she calmed down a little bit and let the thought of what has just happened sink in, she smiled back. I realized she doesn't regret it.

And neither did I.

Her legs were still wrapped around my waist and even though we were done, I pinned her back to the wall and gave her another deep long kiss, that sucked the breath out of her.

Her hands slipped down my chest and ended up on the bruise on my ribs-the broken ones. She applied pressure there and I pulled away only to grunt and squeeze my eyes from the pain, but before I knew it, she was silencing me with a kiss this time-she was such a tease that girl!

I got it back by finding her wrist and pinning her hand to the wall, above her head, she moaned from pleasure and I chuckled lightly which made her open her eyes. Then I let her go, because I didn't want to cause her pain and gently stroked her cheek, after she put her hands behind my neck-out foreheads touched.

"What now, Stefan?" she whispered

"You're good at this, Gilbert" I ignored her words, because I was in the mood to tease her "But you're also kind of loud."

"You're an asshole!" she slapped my chest playfully as she giggled and I poked her in the ribs, which made her stir. I was holding her tightly, embracing her light body with my big rough hands. "I meant what are we going to do now?" she began seriously and I sighed as I finally let her down.

"I don't do relationships, Gilbert." I stated as I looked her in the eyes-I wasn't about to start lying to her right now. She's been played around by this Matt guy enough.

"I don't do that either." she responded and that took me by surprise. She left my embrace and went down to pick her clothes. I turned around, not letting her out of my sight, observing as she put her pink shirt on-her skin was so pale that it made me notice the bruise on her wrist again, which on the other hand made me tremble with anger.

"Did that thing with Matt screw you up, Gilbert?" I asked, realizing that whatever has just happened was because both of us were hurt by love and we didn't want anything to do with it. Sex was okay, sex made you forget for a while, but the sadness reappeared in her brown doe eyes the moment she put her clothes back on and remembered that this wasn't the dream world she was in just a few moments ago.

"No" she shook her head as she tried to find her left shoe "It wasn't Matt." which meant it was someone else. Whoever it was, it broke her heart and left her shattered.

"And you?" she looked up, tears in her eyes now. She approached me again and handed me my white shirt, which was too small for me, but then again there wasn't anything else I could wear since Lexi hasn't been home to help me with the laundry "Was it this Rebekah girl?" she asked and I looked at her surprised, not having a clue where she might know about the mother of my child "You were yelling her name the other day when I woke you up from your nightmare." she explained and looked away ashamed to admit this

"Yeah" I let a sight out as I put my jeans back on, but I couldn't find the strength in myself to continue and explain. I didn't want to talk about this. "Look, Gilbert-"

"It's okay, Stefan" she smiled and as I read the expression on her face I realized she was feeling the same way I did-this didn't mean anything, but it was nice nonetheless, because we were both on edge, hurting, trying to overcome another mistake in our life-it wasn't changing things. We would still hate on each other tomorrow and I would still tease her that much as she teased me. I don't dare use the word friends, because it seemed too good for the relationship we were having. But I enjoyed her company and judging by the smile on her face, she did as well-and she didn't want this to change

"I just don't believe in love, Gilbert" I tried to justify the sadness in my voice and she approached me once again, only to do something I never expected her to-she simply hugged me. It was so innocent and understanding-I've never felt like this in my life. Then again I also never fell so alive while being with any of the other girls after Rebekah-it seemed as if Elena shattered something in me as well, she pulled out something from the dark, and is scared me.

"That's okay" she assured me and I hugged her back "I don't think I believe in love either." she admitted

"Come here" I took her hand and lead her to our locker rooms. The hallways were almost entirely empty with the exception of a few nurses, who were buried in patient's charts or filling out documents. I'm guessing it was just a slow day. I lead her to our locker room, which was right next to the storage. She seemed confused as to why we were here until I got out one of my shirts from the locker and helped her get it on

"Why's that?" she couldn't understand this. I buttoned her up front and took her hand-then rolled the sleeve all the way down to her bruise and covered made the button there as well

"The sleeve will cover your bruise" I explained as I let her hand go "I know you don't want your father to see this and I can't stand watching it as well so just…cover it up okay?" my shirt wasn't too big, on the contrary, she looked good in it. I've had it for a long time, I think Damon got it for me on one of my birthdays a few years back. Maybe that's why it was so small for me now. "And get some ice on it when you get home."

"Thank you, Stefan" she whispered as she looked up and I smiled right back at her. I gave her a quick kiss on the forehead and let her go.

I was brought back to earth by a loud sound coming from my right side. It took me a minute to realize that the trash bin next to me has fallen on the ground and created an unbelievably loud noise. I must've started drifting away, leaned on it and pushed it down without even realizing.

My breath stuck in my throat and I took a moment to figure out what to do. I could hear the guys just a few feet away from me, yelling, wondering what's going on and who's there.

I tried to jump as silently as I could and hide behind the next container, but I could hear someone's steps approaching me. I swallowed hard and begged for them to surpass me, so I could move to another one, and hide myself in the shadows. I heard the steps fade away from me and slipped carefully to my next hiding place-there was a small house with trees surrounding it very close down the road and I could hide in there until they leave so they wouldn't suspect there was anyone here. I just had to get away from them.

I don't think there were many people following me. It must've been only one or two-I couldn't distinguish the voices either-they were probably trying to be very silent, wondering if it was even a person hiding out here or just the wind playing with them-it was a very cold night.

I decided to move away as I couldn't hear anything on the other side, but the moment I made a turn from my last hiding place, I stopped abruptly and almost fell, surprised by someone flashing a light in my eyes.

I tried running back, but I felt a tight grip on my shoulder. They pulled me back harshly and pinned me to the container behind us.

I felt his hands on my throat and squeezed my eyes.

That was it.

I was going to die.

A/N: The moment Stefan thinks about Elena is in Italic, because it's already a memory, even if it happened just a few hours ago.