Thank you guys for bearing with me, just a little chapter, till I've got the time to write something else.p.s hating the spoilers for s4!Just need some stelena!

Chapter 35

Damon

I stumble out of the ally, after compelling the girl, and healing her. Dammit it I'd nearly drained her, but I was so angry. Christ though bonnie would be angrier if she knew what I'd being doing. I need whiskey, am still to wound up going back to hotel yet, and I wouldn't want to lose my rag.

I head down the bustling streets of Chicago, I love big cites, but I hate this one. It was in this city my brother lost any shred of humanity left, and now I pray he doesn't do it again. There's a small bar across the road, Pauli's. Great, hopefully it will be full of loners like me.

I cross over and head inside. It's dark and dingy, perfect for creatures of the night, no intoxicating smells that will make me want to drag a local off to the rest room and take my anger out on them.

And then I feel it, something familiar tugging at me, drawing me towards the bar, and it's not the whisky. I stop dead as my eyes travel the length of the bar, there he is.

For weeks it's like a part of me was missing. Even over the years I'd watched him, always knew where he was. This is what my own personal hell was. For the 1st time ever i hadn't known where Stefan was, how he was and if i was going to see him again, and if i did under what circumstances?

Am paralysed to the spot, am i already drunk? Had he always being this close? As my mind buzzes with questions, i watch Stefan frown in confusion, shake his head and look back at his bottle. Only after a few seconds he looks round again, taking in the room until his eyes land on me.

The same expressions cross his face as i imagine has crossed mine moments before. Before finally happiness and relief fill his features. He's grinning at me, and i realize am grinning back, not smirking full out beaming.

He charges across the room at me, we're hugging it surreal, this isn't what we do, yet i don't want to let him go.

"i knew you'd find us"

With one final squeeze i push him away and try to discreetly look for any signs of the ripper. But Stefan sighs and laughs softly.

"it's ok Damon, am in control. I mean i have to admit that today has tested me, that's why am sat here, trying to curb the cravings."

Resisting the erg to hug him again, and tell him how pleased i am. I turn n signal to the bartender. "Whiskey please. So you're managing then? The control thing?"

We head over to a booth on the far side of the bar. Its a rotten place. Smells delightful, its helping with my cravings.

"yes, i guess all these years i was just missing that last part of my humanity."

"ah the lovely Elena? is she ok? What happened?"

Right now i need to know what he knows. What's going on on the inside? If he knows anything at all, and if we can get out of this mess without Elijah's help. I don't fully trust him, he's already done us over more than once.

"well Klaus compelled her Damon, to forget me, what we are what she feels for me."

I can see this is hard for him to say out loud, honestly i know he could have reacted very differently from how he did. Maybe it was because he was allowed to stay near her. Still its hard to say how they'll recover from this.

"she feed, that was hard to see, but the old Elena was in there, so i helped her overcome that. Although i think she still feeds on humans. She has a lot more control than me. Klaus made her believe that he had found her and helped, took her in. So she's grateful to him. Tyler as you probably know couldn't break the sire bond, so he's there too .actually he's alright. Klaus ended up sending us off on some crazy nonexistent werewolf chase. I think it was because Elena was, i don't know still not remembering me, but...it was still there the pull. I think even Klaus doubted whether or not Elena could break trough compulsion. So off i went, i didn't want to but it was that or not getting to be near Elena."

"yeah that night you left with Klaus i figured something was wrong with Elena, she screamed and ran from me. As for Tyler i never did think he could break the bond. Did you think Elena would break the compulsion?"

I ask my last question slyly. Gauging his answer to see where this conversation could go. But i don't count on his reaction, halting my plan. He rubs his eyes, and stares off the man playing pool. Its a blind stare. His face not giving away anything.

His voice has dropped, and barely a whisper.

"yes. She rang me one night Damon, we talked she sounded different from when i left. It was like she wanted to say more. We said our goodbyes, and i don't know maybe she thought she'd hung up, it was faint, only vampire could hear it, cos i don't think she was holding her phone to her ear anymore, she said...i love you Stefan, hold onto that"

I stare at him, damn Elena is not a good actress. Although i know why she rang him. Am startled out of my bubble by his harsh laughter.

"of course now i think i made it up, you know hearing what i want to hear."

"oh yeah whys that?"

"well i come back cos I'd had enough of Klaus's wild goose chase's, and i just needed to see her. Talk to her, try and push on any break through I'd made. But i come back to find Elena larking around with some blond Elijah!"

Blond Elijah? Christ this makes me laugh. And this in turn warrants a frown from Stefan. Am just glad he doesn't like Elijah either, although i think his reason differs from mine.

"stef she's compelled, she doesn't remember."

Stefan looks utterly frustrated, sat across from me rubbing his temples. He begins to tap his daylight ring on the table. Its annoying i never like it, but he does it alot, and right now am glad to hear it, its being awhile.

"yeah i know, its just..."

He's clamed up i can see he's weighing up weather to tell me or not.

"its just what? come on tell me, so i can get going with my master plan and get you and Elena out and back to mystic falls."

"mystic falls will only be safe with Klaus dead."

"well I'll deal with that after". Actually its kinda in progress, and you're a vital part. I don't say that part out loud.

"umh, well after seeing Elena with him, and then Klaus came in and pissed me off, i went for a walk round garden trying to decide what to do, that wouldn't implicate Elena in any way. And she was there. Sitting, half sleeping, just so beautiful, and then she's looking at me, not like compelled Elena, but my Elena. Its just us and then she kisses me. And its not how a 1st kiss is. Its a proper kiss our kiss, the way we know how, she was her Damon, really her. But then Caroline called and she ran off. Elena kissed me, my Elena Damon, Elena told me on the phone she loved me. She isn't compelled!"

Crap. Well that part of the plan backfired. Always thought it would. But any other thoughts are lost, as i look at Stefan hopeful, gleeful face, this is what he's waited so long for, what he's probably prayed for every night. Its what stopped him from losing control. I know that me and my brother work best together, so i make the decision' I'll deal with everything else later. Right now i just want my brother and Elena home.

"your right, she isn't compelled anymore, Elijah compelled her to remember. Originals can compel other vampire's right?"

Stefan looks confused for a moment, then happy as if glad someone is confirming his suspicions, and then angry. Yeah really pissed as he puts the pieces he has together.

"Damon..."

"calm down little bro I'll tell you it all, then we can decide how we're going to play this, because right now we're holding all the cards."

Stefan still looks angry as i launch into explanation, but slowly his face begins to soften, and i can see the Gog's begin to turn.

So just a short chapter, i'll post a couple more chapters over next few days. Please review, and again sorry for deley.