Damon made as if to follow him, but Elena called for him to stop.

Sighing, he went back and knelt to check on her.

"Are you alright?" Damon started to ask.

In response, Elena shook her head, shedding a tear, and placed her head against Damon's shoulder. "I should be asking you that. You're the one with the gaping wound in your chest…"

"I expected him to hit me, but you? Stefan's really lost it," Damon said angrily, rubbing Elena's back consolingly. "And this is just a flesh wound, so don't worry about it."

She laughed a bit, pulling back to look at him when they heard the shots ring out.

Elena and Damon exchanged looks before heading to the hallway. When they got there, they saw John standing there with the gun still aiming at Stefan. He was collapsed on the floor, slowly rising up; two shots lodged in his shoulder and his kneecap.

John looked like he was going to fire again, but Damon quickly snatched it from his grasp.

"What the hell are you doing!" Elena yelled out as she ran for Stefan.

"Elena, don't," John said, angrily trying to shake Damon off him.

She had just gotten to Stefan when he turned his face to her, his eyes red and full of anger, and snarled. Seconds later he was out the door, leaving a small streak of blood behind as he went.

"You almost killed him, what were you…." Elena started.

"I heard you scream, so I grabbed my gun and came down the stairs," John said, finally released of Damon's grasp. "I was there just in time to see him hit you. I wasn't going to let that happen again. Who knows what he'll do the next time he sees you."

"That was a slap on this face…a deserved one," Elena said in resignation. "It doesn't mean you go around killing people."

"You didn't deserve that," Damon said quietly. "But I agree with John. And in all fairness, he was going to kill me first…you know the whole he was about to stake me to death thing, that almost happened had I not reacted quicker."

"So you think Stefan deserves to die!" she exclaimed in surprise. "That he's a lost cause who messes up and—"

"No. I think he should have been shot up, tied up, and thrown in the basement for a detox since he's clearly off his rocker," Damon said, crossing his arms over his chest. "I'm not so much worried that he'll attack you again, but that he'll do something stupid in retaliation."

"Something extremely detrimental to what we are going up against tonight," John added crossly. "Stefan wouldn't," Elena started, but she stopped herself and sighed.

"He's already killed the sheriff and some of her men. He's already crossed the line of who he will and won't kill," Damon said as she paused. "We need to do damage control before we need to call Buffy into town."

"And we meaning me and Daddy dearest here," Damon said quickly.

Elena frowned and was about to protest when John cut in.

"If you haven't noticed, I don't have any means of getting out in the sun right now," John replied.

"You make sure she doesn't pull a hero act, then," he said pointedly at Elena.

"I can't stay here. I have Caroline in the car. I have to take her home," Elena protested.

"Um, that won't be necessary," John said slowly, staring out the door.

Damon and Elena turned around to see the tail end of her car leaving the driveway—Stefan in the driver's seat.

Caroline sighed impatiently from the car. They were ready to leave while she was sprawled out back deep on the floor of the car to avoid sunlight when Elena had the idea to grab blankets from the house. She wanted her to have extra protection just in case Caroline was still too exposed.

She complained to Elena that she was fine and that the blankets would only be too itchy on her burns, but she insisted. She wasn't going to complain anymore since she was helping her out.

But now she was antsy. The garage door was open, the engine was running and Elena was still gone. If she could, she would just steal Elena's car and drive straight out of town. As such, she could only wait. She was about to get out of the car and make a dash for the door when she thought she heard gunshots.

"What the hell was that?" she thought in surprise. Then another thought hit her; it was the cops. They were looking for her after what she and Stefan did to the officers.

"Oh my god, they're probably shooting up the house right now," she said in a panic.

The fear paralyzed her to the seat for a minute, but she came to her senses when she realized the firing had stopped and there was no yelling. And, she now realized, no cars pulling into the driveway.

She let out a sigh of relief, but it was short lived as the driver's side door was suddenly flung open and Stefan was inside.

Seconds later he pulled out of the garage and out into the driveway.

"What the hell…get out of the car," Caroline screeched, trying to stay low in the seat. She went to slap him, but her hand reached a random ray of sunlight and the shrunk back with a hiss. "Go back and let me out. I'm not going anywhere with you."

"Then by all means, jump out of the car," Stefan replied almost out of breath, continuing his hurried pace.

"What, it's not bad enough that you off my mom, but you have to finish me off too?" she said, her anger battling with the fear that was starting to rise from being trapped in the car.

"I didn't do it on purpose, Caroline," he said, sounding exhausted. "I lost control…don't tell me that it's never happened to you."

Caroline pursed her lips and sighed, thinking of Matt. "That was different."

"Yeah, it was," he said angrily. "He wasn't trying to kill you or anything…He wasn't threating your existence and way of life. He was bleeding and the rest was your choice on how to act, and you chose wrong."

"Your choice was out of bloodlust, mine was out of self-preservation and saving you," Stefan continued. "I'm sorry if that choice makes me a monster. And in all honesty, I do regret killing her, Caroline. I wish I hadn't acted so rashly and that I was more levelheaded, but I wasn't. I failed in many ways, and I failed you. I'll always be sorry."

"Well I don't forgive you," she whispered shakily.

"That's fine. I'm not looking for forgiveness; I'm looking for acceptance," he said rubbing the spot on his chest where the bullet had entered. "I want you to recognize my mistake and instead of running from it, stay and fight."

"What, fight you?" Caroline said in confusion.

"No, stay tonight and help us. Put your hurt aside to help your friends—the ones who still care about you and who support you. Then if you still can't take it, leave…or try and kill me," Stefan replied wearily.

"So let me get this straight, you want me to help you? You want a favor from me? Seriously?" she said skeptically.

"It's not to help me; it's to help Elena and your friends. Unless they're not important anymore," he replied.

"Right now I just want to be out of the sun and as far away from you as possible," Caroline replied after a minute. "Whether I decide to help out or not, I'll decide on my own time…"

"Were you shot?" she said suddenly, smelling the lingering scent of blood.

"John got a few in. It figures he would shoot a man when his back was turned," he said angrily. "Luckily he got the shoulder and not the heart. The kneecap was out of spite."

"Too bad he missed," she said under her breath.

Stefan didn't respond and continued driving.

"Where the hell are we going anyway?" she complained.

"I didn't actually plan for you to be in the car; it was just an easy escape," Stefan said almost apologetically. "So right now I'm just dropping you off where I think you'll be safest."

"And that is?" she said annoyed.

He sighed before he decided to respond. "Elena's house."

"Is that a bad thing?" she said, sensing his hesitance.

"It is for me," he said moodily, gripping the steering wheel.

"As soon as we get there I'm going to open the door with her remote. You get out right away or I will drive away with you still in tow," Stefan added.

"Jeez, what did you do? Kill her?" she said sarcastically.

She went pale as she thought of it as an actual possibility.

"You didn't kill her, did you!" she said in a high pitched voice.

"No," he said, pulling into Elena's driveway and opening the garage door. "But she's as good as dead to me."

"Why are you doing all of this, Isobel? Rick asked as they sat uncomfortably in the living room.

Bonnie and James had retreated to the dining room while Jeremy and Jenna remained in the kitchen arguing about safety and who was staying and going. He figured he's let them figure it out on their own and left them inside. Unfortunately that meant Isobel went with him.

"Are you mad that I'm helping you?" she asked, looking him over.

"No, I'm just confused as to what your motives are, because your life might actually be at stake tonight. I didn't think you'd risk that," Rick said thoughtfully.

"Well my life is in the balance whether I help or not. I guess I'd rather go out fighting," she said with a shrug.

"What is your plan with me by the way?" she added, standing up to sit next to him on the couch. "I mean, what do you really think you can do if I decide to go rogue like you're afraid of? You have no ring, no special powers."

"I have vervain and pointy stakes," Rick said with a grin. "That and sadly, hope."

"Hope?" she said in confusion.

"Hope that this little stint to save your daughter's life means that your humanity is in there and alive," he said, studying her carefully. "And if that's so, I can only hope that's enough for you to not want to cause me harm."

She looked him over seriously, cocking her head to the side. "You think I'm getting in touch with my nicer side?"

"For all of our sakes, I hope so," he answered truthfully. "I'd really like to not have to worry about the enemy and a possible enemy within."

"Especially 'cause it's me?" she said with raised brows.

Rick just sighed and shook his head.

"Why Rick if I didn't know better, I'd think you don't actually want to kill me," she said with a chuckle.

"Oh I'm not saying that, I'm just saying—"he started.

His words were soon cut off when Isobel quickly leaned in and placed her lips against his. He was so surprised by her action that it actually took him a minute to pull away. When he did, his expression was one of bewilderment.

"What are you doing?" he whispered.

"Something I wanted to do for a while," she said with a smirk, leaning in to kiss him again.

"Well you should have thought about that before you left me and did what you did" he said angrily, standing up and moving out of her reach.

"Rick," she said, standing up.

"No. You left me….You left me thinking that you were dead or worse. I was a wreck…I changed my life because of you," he started, venting off his frustrations. "You were my wife. You made me promises. We made a life and you disregarded it for your own selfish reasons. Now I've moved on and I'm free of you."

Isobel blanched as the final words rang in her head, bringing her back to the conversation she had with him a few months back. She had compelled him to forget, but she was left with the memory: Now your heart's free of me. It's easier this way….

"I don't want you to be done with me," she blurted out, shaking herself from her memories.

"It's a little too late," Rick said, going as to head for the kitchen.

Isobel swiftly cut him off. "Alright, then kiss me. Kiss me like you mean it and if you don't feel anything for me, I'll leave you alone."

"That's not going to happen," he protested.

"What? Are you scared what your girlfriend will think or that you'll actually figure out you have feelings for me still?" she said slyly.

"Just one little kiss," she added as he looked at her silently.

Sighing, he closed his eyes and shook his head. "Fine, just so that you're clear."

She smiled in response and stared at him expectantly.

Reluctantly, he leaned in and brought his lips to hers, this time not resisting her lips. She met them eagerly and kissed him with abandon. The kiss started off gentle, quickly moving into a fierce passion. Her hands went up and her fingers entwined in his hair. In response, his arms wrapped around her back; his left hand resting on the small of her back as he pushed her closer.

She felt like they could have stayed like that for a long time if it wasn't for the loud voice coming from behind them.

They instantly separated, Rick almost throwing her off him as he turned to see Jenna's stricken face.

"I was just coming in to say that Caroline's here and we have a problem, "she said quickly and uncomfortably. "But I see I've interrupted you…"

Rick stepped further away from Isobel and toward Jenna. "It's not—"

"It's never what it looks like, is it," Jenna said sharply. Her face showed devastation before it turned into a mask of fury. "Now if you two can keep it in your pants long enough to hear the details, follow me. But as soon as we're done, I want you out."

"I was planning on leaving anyway," Isobel said smugly.

"Both of you," she said pointedly, turning away from them and going back to the kitchen.

"Jenna," Rick stared, but she was already gone.

"I told you…you still have feelings for me," Isobel said triumphantly, making her way to the kitchen and leaving Rick alone in the living room.

He gripped his head in his hands, running his fingers through his hair as he shook his head in anger.

"God damn it," he muttered, dreading the walk of shame to the kitchen.

I thought that the story needed a little more love triangle action, haha, so why not. Anyways, we're getting close to the actual end people. What started as a short story back in May- MAY!- has turned into an epic journey that is still underway today. But whether the last chapters are in the single digits, like 7 or 9 or doubles in the 10-15, the end is sadly, nigh. So until that fateful day, enjoy and review. Title is by Anya Marina. You may remember it as the song that was playing when John visited Isobel for the first time and she had Cherie and Frank dancing (random side note, I know). Cheers.