Chapter 12
The scotch on the bar taunted, Damon. All he wanted to do was have a drink, kick his feet up, feed on a cheerleader and not think about all the monumental amount of drama that had happened over the last few months. His objectives had been clear,once, although it seemed like a hell of a long time ago since anything had been clear.
Damon was supposed to free Katherine from the tomb, kill a few townsfolk and ride off into the moonlight together – happily killing along the way. That didn't go to plan and he had to admit he never had a backupplan, he wasn't one for them. Oh how he wished that he had come up with one.
Turns out Katherine was just a greedy,selfish, pyscho bitch and he just happened to fall for her doppelganger – who happened to be dating his little brother. Same problem … different girl – well in this case not so different girl. Elena had made them both fall in love with her – just like Katherine.
It was why, he now couldn't go off on the edge;at least not all the way. He couldn't stand to see, Elena's disappointed and disapproving eyes. It was pure torture, he loved her beyond words but she didn't love him for who he truly was. He had to pretend to be something he wasn't. Damon wasn't the sensitive guy, heck he wasn't even romantic. The last thing he had ever done that was romantic was that he had done the right thing by killing couples off together. That way they could be together – yes it was sick and twisted but that's how he felt.
Then there was Stefan. Dear old,superhero, loving brother – who had gone and sacrificed himself to a twisted creature, just so that his twisted and dick of a brother could live. Stefan was always saving him and he was sick and tired of being the damsel in distress. He should have helped his brother from the beginning, the second he saw his brother being overcome by the dark allure of vampirism. But he didn't. He didn't because he was so angry that Katherine had turned him too. It was meant to be just him and her and more importantly he hadn't wished his brother to see that part of the world.
He never wanted Stefan to be a vampire. Stefan was the good brother, his father's golden child. He should have taken over their fathers estate, got married to a nice plain girl, have a few kids and die an old man. His brother deserved to live, not to live in purgatory like he now was.
And that guilt would always remain in his heart. Damon should have done something to prevent that from happening. Now look where they were.
The front door opening alerted, Damon. He waited until he saw Stefan standing before him. Looking haggard and unstrung with a shirt that was caked in blood. The familiar guilt hit him like a wrecking ball when he looked at his brother – who clearly was suffering, despite his best efforts to hide it from everyone.
"Little Brother … Always making a mess I see." Damon quipped.
Stefan gave his brother a questioning look.
"What?" He asked, confused.
"Your three course meal is all over your shirt." Damon moved forward and tugged on his brother's shirt.
" From the smells of it you had some , A+ for starters , an O- for the main dish and topped it all of with some AB for dessert. Definitely over indulging brother."
Stefan stiffened.
"It was blood bags. I'm fine, Damon. I have this all under control." Stefan lied.
He didn't have anything under control right now and Damon wasn't going to find out about him and Caroline's predicament. It was something that they needed to figure out together and he didn't want to see the satisfaction in his brother's eyes for doing something seedy and out of character.
Damon couldn't help but smirk. His brother really couldn't lie to him.
"Remember the last time you said that?" Damon asked as he walked away back towards the parlor room.
Stefan followed suit and watched as brother opened a bottle of scotch. Poured himself a drink, drank it all in one go then proceeded to pour another.
Damon continued,"You were enjoying a Miss Mystical falls candidate. Nearly cost me big time, brother. So sorry if I don't take your word for it when you say you're in control."
Stefan sighed.
"It's different this time. I have, Caroline." The words were out his mouth before he could stop them.
Did he just say that in front of Damon?
"Mmmm." Damon said suspiciously, yes his brother did have Caroline, but in what context. Perhaps it had something to do with her that his sudden humanity was on. After all, Caroline had stopped off the day, Stefan's humanity miraculously came on. Question is did she stop by or had she been leaving?
Damon wasn't one to be played a fool. Caroline's face had screamed horror and embarrassment, not to mention that she seemed to be trembling with anxiety – as if she was afraid of being caught. He didn't know what was going on between them but he would find out sooner than later, he kept his plans well hidden.
Stefan meanwhile was contemplating what, Damon's – 'mmmm" meant.
"Got something stuck in your throat, Damon?" Stefan asked.
Damon chuckled. Oh his brother did not want to pick a fight with him today.
"Ohnothing, I just figured you'd be moping to Elena about your sad stint in ripper hell. Letting it all out, holding hands and smacking face with each other. But truth is your avoiding her at all costs." Damon replied coyly.
A cold tremor of fear ran down, Stefan's spine.
"It is none of your concern, when it comes to me and Elena." He answered stiffly.
"Actually it is. It's both of our concern, especially when it comes to Elena."
Stefan scoffed.
"Yeah I heard. The infamous kiss. Nice play brother." Stefan folded his arms as he stared down his brother.
Damon's self-satisfied smirk fell. How the hell did Stefan know about that? Did Elena tell him?
"Elena, told you?" He asked.
"No. Katherine did. She saw everything when she bought you the cure. I'm sure you and Elena wouldn't have told me a thing. It would have been your sordid little secret." Stefan answered.
Damon shrugged his shoulders.
"It wasn't like that …" Damon began.
"Oh I know, she thought you were a dead man, goodbye kiss and all." Stefan interrupted.
An awkward silence filled the house, that even the furniture began creaking, uncomfortable with the silent void.
"We have other things to worry about. Elena's safety for one. I know you're mad at me but you're not mad at her, so I assume you would want to help her." Damon broke the silence first.
"I do. We also have the slight problem of your white lie to Klaus. About Mikael. When he finds out it was all a ruse, he'll come back to Mystic Falls and tear you a new one." Stefan answered.
"He'll kidnap, Elena. Too make hybrid babies." Damon replied.
"Hybrid babies?" Stefan asked with raised eyebrows.
Damon rolled his eyes.
"You know what I mean. Besides I know the perfect person who can help us with this situation."
"Who?" Stefan asked.
"Katherine." Damon said sternly.
Stefan's arms dropped to his sides.
"No. Not her. She's untrustworthy and she'll betray us if it means getting her freedom back." He said horrified.
Was Damon really that stupid? Katherine would think of herself and where she could benefit out of it.
"She's the only one that knows more about the originals than anyone else. She's the answer. Remember Stefan as you so put it, Elena is always the answer, she's always the one you're going to choose." Damon affirmed.
Stefan glanced down at his shoes, but it was then that he became aware of another presence in the room. Someone who had been standing there for a while. Before he could turn to see who it was, Damon announced them.
"Hello, Barbie. Come to see my brother?" Damon said as he spotted her behind his brother
.
Stefan turned and his eyes met the grey ones of Caroline's. Her face was pale with shock as she looked at him. He could see multiple thoughts swimming around in her head. What she didn't know was, that Stefan had his own doubts on whether he would always choose Elena, especially when Caroline was now entwined with him.
An: Did you see what Damon did there? He loves to stir doesn't he? Thanks for the reviews and hope you enjoyed this chapter. Next update – next week! Have a good weekend everyone.