Pairing: Stefan/Damon (M/M) hand/ belt
Jenna-Alaric/John (FM/M) hand, spoon, brush
Prompt from elenalovly: Someone gets sick because new vamps can get sick, but they just can't die. But they will be in pain. They will need to go to the doctors office to get an injection and they start freaking out and acting out because they don't want to go to the doctors office.. eventually they calm down and go to the doctors willingly but once the find out they need an injections on their bums they start flipping out again and hitting the other person who took them to the hospital so they get a spanking at the office restrained and hold them in between their legs until the doctors is finished administering the injections (4) and they get spanked again for moving while getting them. and on top of that they had been warned that if they acted out in the doctors office they'd get another spanking at home!
"Now I know what a ghost is. Unfinished business, that's what."
― Salman Rushdie, The Satanic Verses
Salvatore Boarding House
"Ric, hey, it's me, Stefan," Stefan whispered anxiously into his cell phone. "Something is wrong with Damon. He's...I don't even know how to say this, but he's sick."
On the other end of the phone line was pacing down the hallway outside of the guest room at the Gilbert residence.
"Stefan, this is really odd, but I'm at Jenna's. You know, Uncle John? Yeah, well, he's sick, too. It started as a cold, but he need is looking terrible. I thought vamps didn't get sick," Alaric added.
Stefan paused, "Ric, we don't. I haven't been sick in 160 some years. It just does not happen. I am really worried..."
"Stefan, let me call Meredith Fell. I know Damon still supplies her with his blood from time to time. She's been working at a clinic on the edge of town for the less fortunate. I'll call you back," Alaric said hastily.
"Ric," Stefan whispered, "can you try to keep this from, Elena? She does not need to see Damon like this."
"Sure, she's actually with John now," Alaric said glancing back towards the guest room. Call ya back," Alaric said clicking off.
Salvatore Boarding House
"Stef, I'm not going to a doctor. I told you that," Damon groaned. He sat up slowly.
Stefan went over and felt his forehead again. Damon batted his hand away.
"I'm not a baby, Stefan. Leave me alone," Damon whined.
"Remember when Mother thought I had scarlet fever? I made such a fuss when the physician came that she put me over her knee and spanked me right there," Stefan recalled.
"Yeah, that little chubby butt was all red and then they figured out that you were just sick from pigging out on cherries you snuck out of the larder. Didn't you get a second spanking that night for that?" Damon said with effort and a slight smirk.
"Yeah, and then I got sent to bed with no supper! But that's not the point," Stefan said firmly.
"What is your point? Before I die from the painfulness of this conversation," Damon grunted.
"The point is that if you don't start letting me take care of you, then I am going to put you over my sick and paddle you. Now, lie back down and let me cover you up," Stefan said firmly.
"I'm stronger than you!" Damon argued letting Stefan push him gently back on the couch and lift a cup of blood to his mouth.
"Normally, that is true. But in your weakened state, you won't be able to stop me. Now, relax and behave. Ric is checking out a clinic where Dr. Fell works. Damon, she needs to check you out," Stefan said tucking the blankets in around Damon. "Shut your eyes."
For once in his life, Damon listened and was asleep a moment later. For some reason, this scared Stefan even more than anything else.
Gilbert Residence
"Thanks, Meredith. Yeah, we will have them over there right away...Okay, see ya soon. Thanks," Ric said into the phone.
Jenna exhaled the breath she was holding, "She will see them?"
"Yeah, there is some new virus going around in vampires and humans. They aren't sure what it is yet, but she said she has some shots that have been helping. I'm calling Stefan back," Alaric said.
Elena came in from tending to her uncle. She asked Jenna, "Stefan? Why is he calling Stefan?"
Jenna opened her mouth, "Elena, don't get upset, but Damon is sick, too."
Ric dialed and began to speak quietly to Stefan about what he found out.
"Damon! What do you mean? Vampires can't get sick. It's impossible," Elena said panicking.
"Well, he is. Ric is taking him and Damon to the clinic. Meredith has a shot," Jenna explained gently.
"No! Jenna, he can't get shots. Damon was kidnapped and tortured by the Augustines for years and years. They stuck him with needles every day. He will never be able to even be near a needle," Elena exclaimed. "I need to get over there."
"Oh God, this isn't good. Wait for Ric, maybe we all need to go," Jenna said. "I don't think anyone else can handle John here except me. I know what an asshole he can be."
John stumbled into the room wrapped in a blanket, "I heard that, woman! You are trying to kill me, aren't you?"
Jenna's face became hard in a way Elena had never seen it, Jenna picked up a hefty wooden spoon that she hadn't noticed on the dresser. John's eyes widened and he dropped the blanket.
Jenna stomped over and grabbed him by the arm, "What are you doing out of bed again?" Pow! Pop! Whack! She cracked the large spoon over his rump three times until he began to cry and move back to the guest room.
"You can't spank me for getting up!" John wailed. Elena heard three more cracks. Whap! Whap! Whap!
Ric got off the phone and yelled, "Jenna, get him ready to go. We need to leave now. Did she just spank him? I thought the spoon was an empty threat!" Ric laughed and put on his jacket.
Elena was speechless for a minute, "Ah, I've never seen Jenna even swat a mosquito. I can't believe she did that."
Ric smiled, "Well, she's been taking care of him all night and he had been the worst patient ever. She warned him. I think that spoon was his mother's...God, is he crying?"
Elena mused, "How come every family heirloom around here is either for killing vampires or spanking?"
"Your ancestors were a bunch of violent, murderous-," Ric started but the look on Elena's face stopped him. "Sorry, just kidding. Elena, maybe you better stay here. Stefan doesn't want you seeing Damon this sick."
"Ric, I am coming and no one is stopping me, especially not Stefan," Elena said haughtily.
"That's what I told him you would say," Ric said putting his arm around her. "They will be fine."
Guest Room
Jenna had sadly seen John without his pants before. It was not her finest hour. She always blamed the wine that night and the tequila. However, Jenna was just trying to get John Gilbert out of the stinky flannel pajamas he was wearing and into a t-shirt and sweats. This man exhausted her, she had spent all night pushing the fluids and trying to get him to stay in bed. He was truly the most exasperating man she had ever come into contact with. Everything was a struggle with him.
"Put the pants on now," Jenna said firmly. She sat John back on the bed and he cried louder when the mattress came in contact with her burning seat. She pulled the pants up his leg, she didn't want Elena to have to help her but John was not cooperating. Alaric was getting the car ready. It was freezing out and icy out. Jeremy had started working at the Grill and had been out of the house all day.
"Now, stand so I can pull these up," Jenna said firmly.
"No, Mummy, you will spank me again," John cried. "I didn't mean to hit Grayson. It was an accident!"
Oh lord, was he hallucinating about their dearly departed mother? In truth, Miranda had always been a touch afraid of the old bird. She had run her family with an iron fist and apparently that huge wooden spoon.
"Listen to Mummy, or you will get another licking! Do you hear me Johnathan Gilbert, the second?"
Jenna thundered. She thought 'the second' part was a nice touch, but wasn't sure if it would work on the sick man.
"No, Mummy, I am sore already," John whimpered as he finally let her dress him. She pulled up his pants swiftly and put a clean t-shirt on him. Then, as she tried to put a zippered up hoodie of Jeremy's on him, he began to fight her.
"You are going to be much more sore if I have to get your father up here with the paddle. Now stop it!" Jenna said in her best stern voice. She knew about the infamous paddle. She had even considered starting to use it on Jeremy a few months back. John had threatened to fight her for custody if she didn't get a better grip on the kids, but since Alaric moved in, Jeremy had really turned his life around.
That threat stopped John in his threats and he froze and let Jenna finish dressing him. He seemed to come out of his stupor.
"Jenna? What's going on? Was Mother here?" John croaked. "Mother" had been dead for 15 years, but Jenna didn't have the heart to remind him despite how much John annoyed her.
"Ah, no, John. Come on, we're going to the doctor. It's gonna be okay," Jenna said. John balked and tried to dig his heels in the carpet.
Jenna muttered, "This is ridiculous!" She picked up the spoon and brandished it in John's face.
"John, I am going to lit your behind up like a Christmas tree if you don't move it out of this room and into the car. Now, move!" Jenna swatted the seat of his pants and half-dragged him down the hallway. Elena appeared and grabbed his other arm.
"Isobel, my beautiful princess, how I've missed you. Did you get what you want?" John asked.
"Who is Isobel?" Elena asked.
"I have no idea. He thought I was your grandmother five minutes ago. I had to smack him again. Oh God, if he had to get a shot on the butt, it's going to be all red. Can I get charged with adult abuse? I never hit anyone before?" Jenna worried.
Elena laughed, "Jenna, I'm sure it's fine."
"Shot? I'm not going to get a shot. You can't make me," John said wrestling out of their hold.
Alaric raced up the stairs, "Stefan called again, Damon is out of it. What is taking so long?"
John tried to swing at Alaric. Jenna cried, "Ric, he's out of his mind. Can you pick him up?"
Ric picked him up and carried him over his shoulder. Luckily, John was much shorter and lighter than Ric. John pounded on Ric's back like a child throwing a fit until Ric finally smacked him hard on the upper thighs. John continued to kicked and Ric spanked him several more times a bit harder. Whack! Whack! Whack!
"Knock it off, John!' Ric said as he carried him carefully down the stairs.
Jenna fretted, "We're going to jail for beating a sick man."
Elena cringed, "There is a certain sense of satisfaction in it. I wonder how Stefan is doing with Damon. What kind of sickness makes grown men act like spoiled little brats?"
Stefan was holding Damon upright when they pulled up the car. He had him in a sweatshirt that Damon never would have normally worn and was trying to feed him some blood out of a thermos. Damon batted Stefan's hand away. Stefan opened the car door to put his brother in the SUV and before Ric could get out to help, Damon slugged Stefan in the eye. "Ouch, Damon." Stefan tried again to get him in and like a small child refusing to be put in his car seat, Damon turned to flee. Stefan caught him easily and pulled down the back of his sweats and spanked him over his boxer briefs with his hand. Pow. Pow. Pow. Pow. Pow.
Stefan's face was red, "Now, get in the car or I'm going to take off my belt."
Elena's eyes met Jenna's, this illness was trying the gentlest people into brutes to protect their loved ones. Damon finally let Ric and Stefan buckle him in. Stefan got in the third row.
The car ride seemed to lure the sick men to sleep. When the arrived at the clinic, darkness had fallen.
"Damon, wake up, we're here," Elena said patting Damon on the shoulder.
"Elena, oh, where am I?" Damon asked in confusion.
"You're at the clinic. Meredith is going to um, look at you," Elena said biting her lip.
Damon was scared, "Elena, Stefan, what's wrong?"
"You're really sick, Damon. You need a shot," Stefan said holding him.
"No, no shots, please," Damon said in a whisper. Ric and Jenna were helping John out of the car.
"Brother, you need it. Now, don't make me repeat what I just had to do," Stefan said sternly. "Elena, could you go help your uncle, please?"
"Yeah, sure," Elena said giving Damon a last pat on the shoulder.
"Did you spank me? My ass is throbbing like it did when Giuseppe caught me making out with the parlor maid in my room before church," Damon winced getting out the SUV.
Stefan was shocked, "Father caught you 'sparking' with a servant and didn't kill you then?"
"He didn't have time to strap me and used his hand for once. Seriously, I can't get a shot," Damon said as they followed the others into the clinic.
"You are getting a shot. I'll be with you. If you act up in here, I am going to whup you a whole lot harder than Father ever did, you got it?" Stefan warned.
"No, Stefan, I'm sick," Damon sniffed. He tried to hide how upset he was but tears were dripping down to his chin. Stefan looked into Damon's blue eyes and saw how sick his brother was, he was scared he was not going to make it. They needed that shot. Stefan stopped and hugged his older brother tightly.
"Damon, we need to get you better now. Now, stop your fussing or I swear that I really will spank you right here and now. I don't care who is watching," Stefan insisted. The others had funneled into the clinic and Stefan popped Damon's butt hard to encourage him to get a move on. He had a feeling his brother was considering fleeing.
"I wasn't going to do it," Damon wailed as his left hand guarded his behind.
Mystic Falls Medical Clinic.
Dr. Meredith Fells clicked her pen light off.
"It's the same illness we have been seeing, I'm afraid," Meredith informed the group. "However, the good news is that the shots have a good chance of curing it with one or two doses."
"Ah good. How many shots is the first dose," Elena asked eagerly looking at Damon.
"Four intramuscular injections," Meredith said. "I'll prepare the syringe."
Meredith left and John asked, "What does that mean?"
"In the butt," Elena said.
"Just like her dad, so good at all the medical stuff," Jenna smiled with pride.
John cringed, "I feel better. I don't need to do this."
"Yeah, I'm with Uncle John on this one. Feeling better good," Damon said trying to get up and almost falling.
"You both look half dead. Ladies, could you wait outside, please?" Alaric asked politely.
"Of course," Jenna said ushering Elena out. Elena did want to see the shots but did not want to see her uncle with his pants down.
Damon tried again and vamped to the door, Alaric got there first. Damon begun to hit Alaric and snapped his neck in his panic before Stefan could get there.
"Dammit, Damon. What if he wasn't wearing his ring? He's your best friend," Stefan dragged his brother over to the plastic molded chair and yanked down his pants. Before he could give him a single spank, Meredith opened the door and John tried to bolt out. Jenna was behind her and caught John and dragged him back in the room. She told Elena to stay in the waiting room.
John and Damon both whimpered as their bottoms were bared and they were pinned between their captor's legs in the over the lap position.
"Looks like these two young men already got a spanking, huh?" Meredith chuckled with amusement.
"See that a lot?" Stefan asked.
"With this? Every time. I suspect the disease affects the part of the prefrontal cortex that affects behavior. The only way they can be controlled is through some firm pats on the rump, it looks like," Meredith revealed. She got an alcohol wipe, gauze pad, needle and syringe and with her gloved hands, swabbed one side of each patient's behind.
"Try to hold them still," Meredith said. She nodded to Jenna first as she held the syringe filled with orange liquid with her right hand and pulled the cover off with her left. She placed the syringe between her thumb and first finger and pinched the area around the skin of John's backside with her free hand. Meredith injected the needle into the skin and muscle into a 90 degree angle. She pulled back the plunger and injected it pulled out the needle at the same angle and placed the gauze over the area.
John moaned, but the injection was painless as Meredith was a skilled hand.
Meredith did John's second shot in his other cheek. For the third, John begun to thrash and Jenna got out the spoon and warned him that she was going to paddle him if he didn't settle down. John was still squirming. Smack! Smack.
"Stop, Jenna. That spoon hurts! This is abuse," John wailed. "I have rights. No more shots."
"Sir, you will die if you don't get the third and forth shot," Meredith said truthfully.
"I don't care!" John screamed in her face. "You get the needle if you won't go in the cage!"
She wiped away a few drops of spit without saying a word.
"When you get home, you are getting another spanking. Now stop this, right now!" Jenna hissed. She was so embarrassed. "I'm sorry, Dr. Fell."
"No problem. A lot of children are afraid of needles," Meredith teased. "I normally don't promote spankings, but these two seem like they are asking for a warm behind."
"Are you going to behave and stay still? The doctor has other patients," Jenna scolded.
"Yessss," John cried. Dr. Fell completed the third and fourth shots on John's reddened seat.
Then, Meredith felt bad about her insensitive comment and apologized. "Lots of people are afraid of needles. It will be over soon. You will feel better."
During John's shots, Stefan held Damon down and patted his back. He was crying softly as Stefan kept him trapped between his legs, when Damon would start to thrash, Stefan would give him a tap on the upper thigh. Jenna tried not to look at Ric's dead body, she knew that Ric had the ring and would be okay, but it was hard to see.
Meredith went to do Damon's shots and he couldn't see because he was face down. He really only felt a slight pinch, but the idea of it made him squirm and thrash.
"I'm sorry, he needs to be still," Meredith said.
"Damon, keep still or you are getting the belt on your bare backside when we get home. Do you hear?" Stefan said.
Damon was sobbing, "I can't." Stefan popped him hard three times on each cheek and then once in the middle. Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack.
"Stop! I'll behave," Damon promised.
Meredith did the other three injections and all Damon felt was that small pinch. She put on some gauze and helped Stefan pull up his pants.
"They should be fine by the time you get them home," Meredith promised.
Jenna looked at Alaric, "Thank you, Doctor. I know this one is going to get a good spanking and then go to bed early. Not sure he will be okay, but he will be when he learned to behave."
"Jenna, I'm a grown man!" John said in a small whine. Alaric stirred and got up holding his neck.
"Stefan, give him a good walloping from me. I'm too sore to do it myself," Ric growled.
"You got it, Ric," Stefan smiled letting Damon up.
"Ric, it wasn't my fault. I was panicking. Jenna, tell him," Damon pleaded.
Jenna laughed, "Oh, you are own your own here, Damon. I didn't hear an apology in that."
"Ric knows that I'm sorry. I don't need to say it," Damon smiled rubbing his sore cheeks.
"Save it for when you're over my knees," Ric said.
Damon was alarmed, "No, Ric, my butt is already stinging!"
"Come on, let's go home," Ric said rolling his eyes.
Gilbert Residence
Jenna steered John in by his ear. She was still fuming at how he acted up at the doctor. Alaric went to lay down and Elena drove to Bonnie's.
John stomped his feet, "This isn't fair. Even the doctor said that I was sick."
"You were, but you still acted like a little brat. What would your mother have done?" Jenna said with her hands on her hips. Jenna's auburn hair was pinned back and she was wearing skinny jeans tucked into knee high boots. Jenna was a young, attractive woman and about to spank him just like his mother used to.
John blushed hotly at the question left dangling in the air. Ever damn person who lived on this street when they were kids knew what Mrs. Gilbert did to naughty boys. She had no qualms about spanking them anywhere they misbehaved in town or even whacking their friends. Even twenty years before, Mrs. Gilbert was known for being strict mother and an exemplary housewife.
"Spank me," John answered looking at his feet. Jenna was right. He had made a fool out of himself. Without his mother's firm discipline, he fell apart at the seams.
"We'll take care of. Now for this, what would she use?" Jenna asked out of curiosity.
"If we were really in for it, she'd use her hairbrush. The spoon was...just a reminder. The hairbrush is to teach a lesson," John repeated from memory.
"Okay, I think I have a brush that might work. What did you do while you were waiting?" Jenna asked.
"Pants down in the corner. Hands on head," John said in defeat. He had been taught very firmly not to lie and Jenna was reminding him of his mother, he felt a shiver of fear tingling down his spine.
"Don't look so afraid. I'm going to give you a few smacks and send you to bed," Jenna said softening. She could not take the terrified look on John's face. Maybe she was taking this Momster routine too far, she felt a wash of guilt.
Jenna popped into Elena's room and found a blue plastic paddle brush. It looked unused. She grabbed it and went back in the guest room, pledging to treat John a little kinder. Maybe if he had a nicer Mother, he would have turned out better. Then, she chastised herself for mother blaming, after all, Grayson was wonderful as a husband and father. Miranda's biggest complaint was that he spoiled her with expensive gifts and vacations.
Jenna pulled out the straight backed chair from the desk.
"John, come over here, please. Time to get over my knee," Jenna said firmly. For a second, it crossed her mind that she was possessed. Her she was, a person who didn't believe in violence, and she was ready to blister John's behind with a hairbrush for misbehaving at the doctor's.
"I'm sorry, Jenna. You warned me about what would happened and I didn't listen," John said as he go over her lap. She had placed throw pillow there so his bum was raised up at a good angle. Again, Jenna had no clue where that idea came to her.
Once John was jackknifed over her lap and his hands were on the ground and his legs hanging in the air, she begin to paddle him steadily. The gauze was off of from the shots and she turned the pinkish surface of his bottom a darker pink in a few minutes. John kicked and cried from the start of the firm, but fair punishment. Jenna was not angry, but resigned. She had to teach this boy a lesson. Boy? She wondered. John Gilbert was almost 40 years old, he was no boy.
However, he was crying and pleading over her lap for the spanking to stop. She had him restrained with her left arm and locked into place. When John's rear was a bright red and several spots were white in the center, Jenna stopped the spanks. She cooed, "Poor baby. Shh, okay...Mother forgives you." For some reason, it struck neither of them odd. She pulled the boy up, gave him a long hug and then put him in the bed on his stomach. He was so exhausted, he fell into a deep sleep.
Jenna went to put the hairbrush back in her grand daughter's room. What a mess. The boy's room was worse. Maybe she would hold on to the hair brush? If those children weren't home to set the table before supper, she supposed she'd have to use it again. They had to learn. She told them she didn't want them riding their bikes after the street lights went on, but they didn't seem to be minding her.
Supper. It felt like a Hamburger Helper night. Maybe she would make a nice Watergate salad for dessert. She always tried to keep pistachio-flavored instant pudding on hand. It felt like a long time since she had made it. Or maybe she would make a poke cake? After all that, she would be ready to sit down with her husband and watch "Charlie's Angels."
Salvatore Boarding House
Stefan was relieved that Damon was back to himself by the time they got home. They was a delicate situation. If Damon filled up on human blood, he would again regain his strength and could easily take on Stefan.
"Go to your room, Damon. I promised you a spanking and I mean to keep my promise. I'll bring you a blood bag. O negative?" Stefan said casually.
"You really want to do this, Stef? You know what, I'll play along. How about it?" Damon said with a smirk. If his baby brother though he could hurt him with a full licks, he had another thing coming. Damon knew how soft hearted Stefan was.
Ten minutes later, Stefan came up and found Damon coming out of the shower with a towel around his waist. Stefan had two blood bags and a covered tray of food.
"Why do you want me, Stef? Over the bed?" Damon said lightly.
"Ah yeah, let's do that," Stefan said. He had never done this before. He watched Damon pile pillows up on the bed and watched Damon remove the towel and bend over. This was how Father must have done it to him. Stefan would not really know before for him it was different, Damon had protected him. He took the strap for Stefan because he couldn't bear to see him punished so harshly. He knew Damon was trying to intimidate him into stopping.
"It's not going to work, Damon. You're due a punishment and I aim to do it," Stefan said loftily.
"That shut up and do it," Damon said.
Stefan unbuckled his belt and unfurled it. He doubled it and went up behind Damon. He said his brother was glistening wet from the shower. He put his hand on his back. Damon had ripped off the gauze and bandages. Yet, Stefan wondered if Damon knew he was not healing very fast. There was still some redness there. It was dim in the room, but Stefan's vampire eyes picked out the syringe marks which should have healed by now.
"You ready?" Stefan said feeling sick.
"Yup, getting bored here," Damon quipped.
Stefan cracked the belt down hard over both of Damon's cheeks right in the center of his backside.
Thwap!
Thwap!
"You could have died tonight, Brother!" Stefan said.
Thwap!
Thwap!
Stefan heard Damon suck in his breath. He worked the belt down further.
Thwap! Thwap! Thwap!
He gave him three hard ones right on the sit spots.
"You killed Ric," Stefan said.
Thwap! Thwap! Thwap!
"Again," Stefan said.
Damon shifted from foot to foot. His backside was a deep red now. Thwap! Thwap! Thwap!
Damon shouted, "Okay, you made your point. Enough." Stefan put his belt back on and sat on the bed next to Damon. He figured he would let him heal a moment.
"You really think that is enough for your behavior? Do you think we'd let the doctor hurt you? I know some of it was part of the illness, but some of that was you being defiant," Stefan said gently.
"Sorry," Damon barely said above a whisper.
"Come on. You know what is next," Stefan said. He pulled Damon across his lap so his upper body was on the bed and his legs remained on the floor.
"No, Stefan, please," Damon said in an odd voice.
"A warm behind will help you sleep," Stefan said repeating something their old nanny used to say when she spanked them before bedtime.
"Old Margaret and her slipper, don't remind me," Damon groaned.
"I already did. She did sneak us food, though," Stefan smiled.
"Yeah, she probably pulled that bread out of her corset or something but it was always warm," Damon added.
Stefan laughed, "Don't make me laugh. I'm trying to be firm with you."
"How many?" Damon asked.
"Ten, but hard ones," Stefan warned.
"Your hand. I have an iron ass," Damon insisted.
"We shall see," Stefan said as he quickly spanked his brother as hard as he could ten times. Wham! Wham! Crack! Smack! Smack! Smack! Smack! Crack! WHAP! WHAP!
Damon kicked and sobbed quietly. He didn't think he brother had it in him.
Stefan lifted him and hugged him tightly.
"I was so scared today. It's the first time I thought I was going to lose you. I don't know how I would make it, Damon," Stefan said now crying himself. Damon shifted so he could pull his brother into his arms, he hissed as his sore backside rubbed against the bed.
"Stop it, you won't have to. We'll find out what the hell happened today. Stefan, I didn't want to say anything until I was sure but I think Elena's uncle was one of the Augustine's. One of the guys who tortured me," Damon said still holding his brother.
"John? An Augustine? We know he's trying to get the council to start hunting vampires again, but an Augustine? That's pretty high level," Stefan said in shock.
"We need to find out. There has to be a reason only John and I got sick, when he said, 'You get the needle if you won't go in the cage!', I knew. That's what they used to say to us. Me and this other guy who was a prisoner with me," Damon said almost rocking Stefan.
"Who?" Stefan asked.
"He's dead now. But he was my only friend for years...Another vampire, named Enzo," Damon said sadly. He kissed Stefan on the head and held him tightly. Forgetting about everything else for a moment.
"Why'd you let me smack you, Damon?" Stefan asked quietly.
"Because I deserve it," Damon said hollowly.
"You deserved it, Brother. 'All over now,' just like old Maggie used to say, 'you paid your due, lad.' Let it go," Stefan begged.
"Yeah, you're right, Stef," Damon said. But Damon knew that he did deserve it and a lot worse.