Disclaimer: The characters of Twilight and Vampire Diaries belong to Stephanie Meyer and LJ Smith respectively. I don't make any money from these stories.

Warning: May contain spanking

When they got home, Esme had a blanket ready for Stefan. It wasn't really needed but nobody wanted to dampen Esme's mothering. She wrapped the blanket around Stefan's still shivering body in Emmett's arms, then directed Emmett to place him on the couch. Edward looked on with a wide eyed regretful look as his mother fussed over Stefan. He really wanted to apologise but it didn't seem like Stefan was ready to hear anything at the moment. It was just supposed to be a mean prank and he hadn't really meant to dredge up bad memories. He looked around at the bustle of activities his family was undertaking as they blurred from place to place. His mother still fussed over Stefan, Emmett had been sent to the kitchen to heat up some blood, Alice and Rosalie were arguing on whether to put some clothes on Stefan now or after he had had a shower, his father was checking Stefan's healing and mentally calculating how long before he had use of his legs again and Jasper was pouring the blood into Stefan as fast as Emmett got it from the kitchen as Stefan's hands were shaking too much to properly hold a cup.

This went on the whole night until Stefan broke out of his catatonic state a little after six in the morning. The shaking had stopped finally and he pushed away Jasper's hands as he tried to give him another cup of blood. Esme rushed to his side immediately.

"Stefan, sweetheart, are you feeling better?" She asked, cupping Stefan's face.

Stefan however did not respond, instead fixing Edward with a steely glare. In a blink of an eye, before anyone could comprehend that he had left the couch, he threw Edward through the glass wall into the mud outside. He followed immediately before Edward could recover and kicked him hard. Edward sailed through the air and landed a couple of hundred feet away with a pained grunt. Before he could pick himself up, Stefan kicked him again, this time through some trees and into the forest. In the few seconds it took for the Cullen family to catch up to them in the forest, Stefan had ripped off one of Edward's arms and at least a dozen once strong trees were destroyed. At the moment Stefan had Edward in a choke hold against a sturdy oak tree, slowly trying to rip off his head while his eyes bore into Edward's tear filled fearful ones.

Alice looked horrified. "Stefan stop it!" she shrieked, throwing Stefan off Edward and kneeling beside her little brother

Stefan came blurring back immediately, only to be stopped by Emmett wrapping an arm around his waist and lifting him off his feet. He struggled so violently Emmett almost dropped him.

Carlisle joined Alice beside his youngest on the forest floor. "Jasper look for your brother's arm. I need to reattach it"

"I-I'm very very sorry Stefan. I d-didn't know about the drowning, I swear. I w-would nev-never..." Edward began tearfully, only to be interrupted by Stefan

"You're sorry? You're sorry? You don't know what the word means, you spoiled brat. By the time I'm done with you, you would know the true meaning of a sorry being" Stefan spat coldly. It was the first time he had spoken since the ominous threat at the cliffs and it looked like he intended to keep his promise. "Do you have any idea what it felt like? Do you? Wet and cold, that's how. Maybe I'll just show you" With a powerful jerk, he jumped out of Emmett's arms and grabbed Edward's jaw.

There were twin gasps, one more painful than the other, as Edward and a returning Jasper both suffered the influx of memories Stefan was imparting. Jasper curled up on the ground in a fetal position, his gift making him experience the fear, pain, misery and hope that Edward was feeling through Stefan. Edward was not better off either. He was living Stefan's three month drowning right on dry land. Every horrible moment of it. By the time Emmett pulled stefan off him and broke the connection, he had seen and gone through enough. He grasped his father's jacket fiercely with his one arm and buried his face into his chest, body shuddering with sobs. Jasper also sagged into Rosalie's arms, who had hurried to the side of her twin immediately he went down. Stefan's anger seemed to deflate quickly after this as the horror of the previous night came rushing back. He sank into the muddy forest floor and let lose heart wrenching sobs, not fighting it when Esme pulled him into her arms and started rubbing his back.

"I want to talk to my brother" he whispered against Esme's neck. He hadn't spoken to Damon since he arrived in Forks, mostly because he hadn't forgiven him for taking him away from Mystic Falls but now he wanted nothing more than to hear his voice.

Esme nodded. "Ok sweetie, anything you want. We'll call him when we get home. Would you like that?"

Stefan nodded.

Esme sighed heavily when she heard the shower turn off in Stefan's room. If it was possible for her to get physically tired she would have been exhausted, and if she felt that way she couldn't begin to imagine how Stefan and Edward felt. Her mind drifted as she heated up a mug of blood for Stefan. Edward's screams as his father replaced his torn off limb had been excruciating to hear. He was after all her baby. She could practically feel the bones and ligaments shift and fuse together as Carlisle worked to align them properly. It didn't take long, but it was very painful, and Carlisle had needed Alice and Emmett to him down as he thrashed. That had been almost an hour ago, around the same time that Stefan went into the bathroom. Esme had began to get worried when after about thirty minutes there was still no sound of water running. She was just about to go check on him when the shower finally started running. She used the time he was there to make arrangements for the repairs needed around the house and check in on Jasper, who was still recovering from the incident in the forest. Edward was curled up in his father's lap and Alice and Emmett were cleaning the glass from the living room. Immediately she heard the water stop running upstairs she started to heat blood for Stefan, giving her husband a small smile when he moved Edward to the couch to go talk to Stefan.

Carlisle gave Stefan enough time to get dressed before he knocked on the door. At the quiet 'come in' he received, he walked slowly into the room to see Stefan sitting cross-legged in the bed. "Stefan, how are you feeling?"

"I'm feeling much better Carlisle"

"Ok. That's good" Carlisle said. "You and Edward are not allowed to use the computer but I'll make an exception today. You can call your brother on skype. I imagine you'll feel much better seeing him than talking to him on the phone"

Stefan brightened. "That'd be great Carlisle. Thank you"

"You're welcome" Carlisle smiled at him. "When you're done I want you to get some sleep ok? We'll talk when you wake up" he added, then with a soft kiss to Stefan's head, he left the room

Stefan watched as Carlisle left and opened his laptop. His eyes watered when Damon appeared on the screen. "D-Damon?"

"Stefan thank God you finally called. I've been trying to reach you for like forever. You're not still mad at me are you? You know its for your own good. As so... Stef you look terrible. What happened?"

Stefan couldn't hold his composure after that as the tears spilled over and he started to tell Damon everything that happened in the last month. He watched as Damon's expression went from amused to sympathy to anger to horror and the one he dreaded; vacant. Damon was extremely dangerous when he was unreadable.

Another soft knock came on the door and Edward poked his head in. Stefan looked up at him. "I...uhm...I wanted to apologise again for what happened. I'm really sorry Stefan. I..."

"Is that Edward?" Damon asked, and when Stefan nodded he added coldly. "I want to talk to him"

Stefan's eyes widened. "Damon, its fine. He already apologized, and..."

" . .Him" he ground out

Stefan handed the laptop over to Edward and watched as his brother growled and snarled and threatened Edward until Alaric had to step in. By then Edward had been reduced to a sniveling mess and welcomed Alaric's interruption with open arms. He bolted to the door after Alaric's authoritative "That's enough Damon" and would have been downstairs already had Stefan not called to him.

"Edward" Stefan spoke softly. "Its okay. You didn't know. I forgive you". He gave a small smile at the relief on Edward's face when he said that, then went back to the computer to ask Alaric why he was at their house so early in the morning.

"Huh" Emmett said. "That saying was true after all. There is calm after the storm or something like that. Maybe they won't fight anymore"

"I sure do hope so" Rosalie said as she entered the living room. "I don't know how much more of this Jasper can take"

"This incident seemed to have rattled them both. I think they'll get along more now" Carlisle added

"I told you they'll be friends before Halloween" Alice said

"This is hardly friendship Alice" Rosalie said

"We'll have to help the process along. But you'll see I'm right"

Rosalie was about to say something else when the phone rang. They watched Carlisle answer it and speak for a few seconds. He turned to them when he hang up.

"That was the school. Stefan and Edward are suspended for three weeks. And they have to pay for the damages as well" he said. "I've asked permission for the rest of you to stay home today. But you'll be back to school tomorrow. Emmett why don't you get Stefan and Edward down here so I can tell them the consequences of their actions before I leave for work?"

After their father had left for the hospital and Stefan didn't look like he was going to sleep anytime soon, the Cullen kids came up with a plan. Jasper and Emmett would stay home and play video games with Stefan and Edward while Alice and Rosalie went shopping. Operation make-Stefan-and-Edward-friends was so on.

Stefan stared listlessly at the screen as Emmett and Jasper whooped at the game they were playing. He was tired and would love nothing more than to sleep but he was afraid of the nightmares he knew he would have once he shut his eyes. He looked up as Esme called to him softly to come eat a late breakfast. He ate the toast and about a quarter of the eggs, then sat staring apprehensively at the orange juice. Esme noticed.

"What's wrong Stefan? You don't like the juice? I can get you something else"

"N-no its fine" Stefan smiled shakily, picking up the glass. As soon as Esme turned around however, he dropped the smile and went back to staring intensely at the glass of juice he was holding. He was looking so much he didn't notice how hard he was holding it until the glass shattered and several pieces got stuck in his palm.

Jasper and Emmett stopped the game at once and Esme came blurring out of the kitchen. Even Edward stopped playing the piano.

"Stefan are you ok?" Esme asked worriedly, pulling the shaking and bleeding hand towards her and sending Jasper for some bandages. "What happened?"

"I'm s-sorry. It was just s-so wet. I c-couldn't. I couldn't" Stefan stuttered, eyes pooling with tears

"Oh sweetheart, its okay" Esme said as she wrapped the bandage expertly around his hand. It would heal completely in an hour or two but she felt the need to do that. She led him to the couch beside Emmett. "Why don't you rest here for a while? Emmett and Jasper would keep you company" she added as she went back to the table to sweep up the broken pieces of glass.

Stefan looked down at his bandaged hands, cheeks burning as he thought about the PTSD episode he just displayed in front of the Cullen kids. Emmett felt sorry for him.

"How about a game Stefan? Lets see how good you are" he said, handing Stefan a controller, before mentally smacking himself at the bandaged hand. "Oh" he said lamely. "Sorry"

Jasper rolled his eyes at Emmett. "Tell us about Mystic Falls. Ah haven' been south in a long while buh I kinda miss it. Ah came to Virginia once with my pa, before the war. Richmond. It was the farthest I'd journeyed from home. I remember being so excited" he spoke in a perfect southern drawl

Stefan smiled. "Couple o' hours further and you woulda been in Mystic Falls..." he responded in kind. Emmett gave an exaggerated groan at the language, making Stefan laugh, and just like that the mood was lightened and Stefan's incident with the cup was forgotten.

Alice and Rosalie returned in the late afternoon with a car full of shopping bags. They picked about two bags each and thrust the keys into Emmett and Jasper's arms, silently commanding them to bring the rest in.

"I really don't get how shopping is supposed to make Edward and Stefan friends. Do you?" Emmett grumbled, turning confusedly to Jasper, who shrugged back. They unloaded the car in a couple of seconds, putting down the last bag just as Alice gave an inhuman shriek at seeing Stefan's bandaged hand.

"What happened to your hand?"

Stefan shrugged. "Oh this? That's nothing. It's all healed up. I should be taking this off" he said, starting to tear at the bandage

Alice stopped him. "Leave it. Dad will check it out when he returns from work"

Stefan tried to protest. "It's really nothing Alice, I c..."

"I said leave it" Alice spoke in a way that reminded Stefan of Damon, and he bowed his head in submission. Edward chuckled softly at Alice ordering Stefan around. Welcome to my life, he mused. When Alice glared darkly at him, he smiled innocently.

"Which ones are mine Alice?"

She brightened immediately. Alice had a knack for shopping for everyone when she went shopping.

"Oh right. I almost forgot. This is for you" she handed him a bag. "And you Stefan" she gave one to Stefan too. "After your little skirmish yesterday, I noticed that you had lost or damaged your phones, so Rosalie and I got you new ones. I'm sorry its the same brand but its different colors so... That wouldn't be a problem right?"

"Thank you" Stefan said meekly

"Thanks Alice" Edward iterated

"Its no problem" Alice brushed them off, picking up another bag. "We also got you these jackets, seeing as how, once again, you ruined yours in the fight. There's one here for Jacob too. Both of you will have to take it over to the reservation... Ah ah ah" she shook her head when Edward and Stefan tried to protest. "He's in this because of you two. You're going. I wasn't really in a shopping mood today" Emmett and Jasper shared disbelieving looks. "But you two needed phones, and I couldn't just buy you phones and leave . It was too tempting. Due to that our shopping was a little lazy today. We went to only one shop, and they had the jackets in only one color. Since you and Stefan are the same size we just grabbed two and left to look through another shop for Jacob's. He's of a broader build than you two so..."

Emmett and Jasper shared knowing looks this time as they tuned out Alice's explanations and went outside. Jasper turned to Emmett, an amused expression on his face. "This is how they intend to make them friends? Buying them matching phones and jackets? It won't work"

"I don't know Jazz. Doesn't seem like Edward and Stefan have caught on yet"

"But still, matching phones? They're not twelve Em" he looked intensely at his older brother. "Maybe its time we stepped in Em. The girls have had their chance. Let's show them how it's done"

In the end the boy's didn't even have a chance to try.

With his father at work, his mother shopping for food for Stefan and his older siblings at school, Edward was the definition of bored. Stefan had finally fallen into a disturbed sleep around dawn after waking up several times in the night screaming about Silas and cold wet things and Edward knew he wasn't waking up soon. He resigned himself to alternating between watching TV and listening to music while he waited for his mother to return and entertain him. So intent was he on the music he was listening to, singing along with the tunes, that he almost didn't catch the sound. Wait, was that...someone throwing up? The only other person in the house was Stefan, and he couldn't be sick. He was a vampire after all.

He slowly removed the headphones and inched towards Stefan's room. "Oh shoot" he muttered at the sight before him. Stefan was sprawled out on the ground between the bed and the bathroom door. Looked like he couldn't make it back to the bed before his legs gave out. He knelt beside him on the floor. "Stefan, uhh, are you okay?"

Stefan shook his head vigorously and Edward's eyes widened. Stefan would never show weakness in front of him. If he was admitting it, it had to be serious.

"I n-need to t-talk to my b-brother" Stefan stated, making a move towards the bed, and falling painfully again

"Whoa. Hey stop" Edward held his shoulders. "Jesus, you're burning up. What's going on Stefan? Vampires aren't supposed to get sick"

"I need to call..."

"We need to get your fever down. Come, I'll run you a cold bath" Edward interrupted, yanking Stefan up by his arm and taking him to the bathroom

"You don't understand. I need to... I'M GOING TO DIE!"

That got Edward's attention. "What?"

"When we fought,and Jacob pulled me off you, he bit me" Stefan watched as understanding dawned on Edward

"Shit. Okay get in the shower. Your temperature is still rising. You need to cool down. I'll call Damon" Edward said, shifting Stefan to sit on the bathroom floor before turning on the shower and disappearing into the bedroom. He reappeared about two minutes later, a worried look on his face. "No one's answering. And it's the only number you have on the phone"

Stefan looked up at him with a somewhat confused expression,"Wha... Oh yes. That. It's the only number I could recollect. Alice got us new phones remember?"

Edward nodded. "Yea. Well come on then. Lets get you out of the shower and then I'll call mom. The others as still in class and their phones will be silenced, and dad is working. The probability that he has his phone on him is very low. I'll help you" He grabbed Stefan's arm to pull him up, but dropped it immediately when he screamed in pain. "Why? What is it?"

"That is the arm that was bitten" he replied through clenched teeth as he tried to breathe through the throbbing pain. He looked curiously at his arm. The pain was great, but there was no visible wound. Before he could deliberate further however, he felt himself being lifted off the floor. He was considerably weak, but he still struggled. "Hey. Put me down. I can walk"

Edward didn't bother though, placing Stefan gently at the foot of the bed. "Mom's phone is not going through. Some hitch in the reception or something. I called dad too, and I was right. He doesn't have the phone with him. We're on our own. What do you need?"

The little struggle Stefan gave had drained him of the last dregs of energy he had left. "I n-need blood, Klaus blood, or I'll die. I'm going to st-start halu-lucinating soon. When that ha-happens, you need to get out of here..."

"I'm not leaving you alone when you're sick"

"If you don't, I could kill you"

"Probably. But my dad will kill me first if I leave. I'm more scared of him than you so no. And... Wait, why didn't you tell anyone you were bitten? We could have gotten Klaus blood long ago. It's been three days already. How long do you have?"

"I don't know. I should be dead already. This time is different"

"Different how?"

"We don't usually get sick. And if we don't get the cure within 24 to 48 hours, we die. When we're bitten, the wound closes, giving a false impression that you'll be okay. But in a couple of hours it reopens again, with a lot of agony, and from that point onwards its nothing but deterioration until death or until Klaus feels benevolent enough to give you his blood, which is pretty rare. When Jacob bit me I healed, and the wound didn't manifest again, not even till now, so I thought Jacob being a different breed of werewolf than my kind it wouldn't affect me. I was wrong"

"You're an idiot, you know that? You didn't tell anyone Jacob bit you, not because you forgot, but because you were waiting for symptoms to show up before you said anything. Did it ever occur to you that if you eventually told someone after the symptoms manifested themselves, it could be too late to get Klaus blood all the way from Virginia? Did it also..."

"Edward" Stefan interrupted. "I don't feel good" he said, then promptly threw up all over himself.

"Oh shit. Uhhh. Ok. Back into the bathroom you go" Edward lifted Stefan back into the bathroom and turned on the shower. "I'm going to try my dad one more time" he said digging out his phone.

"Dr Cullen's phone, how can I help you?"

"Oh hey Nancy. I need to speak to my father. Can you get him for me?"

"Oh hi Edward. I'm sorry but your fathers in surgery. I can take a message and have him call you back"

"No, I need to... Nancy? Hello? She hung up" Edward mused, steadily getting worried until a weak voice called to him from the bathroom. He run to the bathroom to find Stefan now shivering violently.

"I'm c-cold. Very col-cold" Stefan stuttered through chattering teeth

"Okay. Uhh. Here" he wrapped him in a big fluffy towel. "I'll find you something to wear" he said, ruffling through Stefan's closet and picking out a fresh pair of jeans and a hoodie. He ripped the wet pajamas off of Stefan and redressed him in the warm clothes. There was no shred of embarrassment on Stefan's face as Edward dressed him like a child. He had been alive too long for being naked in front of someone to matter, least of all one who had survived almost as long and seen almost as much as he had. He settled back contentedly on the pillows, allowing Edward to pull his hoodie up over his ears as warmth seeped back into his body. He closed his eyes and was just about to fall into a light doze when they flew back open.

"I think I'm gonna hurl" he announced matter-of-factly.

Edward whirled around. "Now?". It was too late though as Stefan retched all over the bed and the floor. Edward watched helplessly as he threw up...blood. His eyes widened. "You're puking blood. This is so not good" Edward was so caught up in his mumblings he didn't notice immediately when Stefan's eyes rolled into the back of his head and he started seizing. He came to his senses rather quickly though, and pinned his shoulders to the bed as Stefan spasmed and flailed. In what felt like years to Edward but was actually about thee minutes, the seizure was over and Stefan flopped back into the bed, a pained whimper escaping his lips as tears streamed down his cheeks.

Edward let go of Stefan's shoulders and angrily swiped at his cheeks. It wouldn't do for him to start crying now. Stefan needed him. He breathed deeply and cleaned up the blood on the floor. Then he carried Stefan to his room, fully intending to come back and change the sheets, but Stefan didn't want to be alone so instead he took off his soiled hoodie and put one of his on him. He flopped listlessly on the bed beside Stefan and shook his head.

"I can't do this. I don't know what to do anymore. Hell, I'd take help from the Volturi if they offered. Maybe..." He paused in his ramblings when he noticed Stefan struggling to breath. "Stefan?" All the answer he got was wheezing sounds as Stefan gripped the sheets in panic. Edward could only watch helplessly as the breathlessness run it's course and Stefan's eyes were bright with unshed tears.

"And here I thought I knew what suffering was" Stefan whispered

"You're making jokes now? You're dying!" Edward exclaimed. "We need to call someone for help"

"Who? We've tried everyone. The universe is just against me today" he mumbled as he watched Edward dial another number on his phone. "Who are you calling?"

"Forks High School. How may we help you?"

Stefan's eyes widened. "You're calling the school?" He asked

Edward raised a hand to silence him. "This is Edward Cullen. I would like to speak to my siblings please"

"Mr Cullen, your siblings are in class and can not be disturbed. I'll let them..."

"NO! No, please don't hang up. It's my cousin. He's really sick and I can't get in touch with anyone. We're home alone and he's had a seizure and thrown up blood and..." Stefan watched in amazement as he made his voice falter a little "... I don't know what to do. Please, just, I need some help. Please" throwing in a fake sob and a sniffle at the end

"Okay, okay, Mr Cullen. Calm down. Everything is going to be fine. Which of your siblings do you want to talk to?"

"All of them"

When Edward turned around Stefan was looking at him with a mixture and curiosity and admiration. "That almost never works on Damon. He says he invented it, thus he's immune. It works but not as often as I'd like. And I'm excellent at it"

Edward smirked. "It works on my parents all the time. My siblings though, not so much. A little sniffling and tears and they'll let me off for murder"

"Edward?" With the shower running, it was no surprise that Edward didn't hear Alice's shrill voice sound through the house. "Eddie. How is he?" Alice asked as she blurred into the bathroom. Edward looked up, his surprise at not hearing her come in evident on his face, though it was gone in a second as he turned his attention back to Stefan.

"He's warm again" he answered just as Emmett came up with a glass of blood

"What is his temperature?" Jasper asked

"I didn't have time to check. He was going too fast between hot and cold I just couldn't" a distraught Edward answered again

"Its okay. Rose is getting father from the hospital. They'll be here soon. He'll be alright. You did a good job Eddie" Emmett comforted as he hugged him. "You did good, baby brother"

The activities of the past hour finally caught up to Edward and he was content to just sit back in Emmett's arms while his older siblings took charge.

Edward listened from his position lying across Emmett's lap as his father scolded Stefan upstairs.

"First, I owe you an apology Stefan. I was so engrossed in finding you and getting you home and later fixing Edward that I completely forgot what Jacob said about biting you. I should have remembered and for that I am sorry. That though, young man, doesn't mean you get to disregard such an important incident. You were very lucky I had blood from Klaus for just an occasion like this. I knew accidents are bound to happen but I didn't know you would be so brazen as to hide it from all of us. Do you realise that you could have died had Klaus blood not been available? It is a five hour flight from Virginia to Washington, and that's not including the drive time from Mystic Falls to Richmond or here to Port Angeles. The probability of you getting that blood on time would have been very low, and I'd have to explain to you brother why you were dead under my care. Can you comprehend what that would feel like?" Carlisle asked seriously as he stared down at the weak but much better looking boy in the bed. "This does not happen again, am I clear? You even get a paper cut you tell me. Am I understood?"

"I'm... I'm really sorry Carlisle" Stefan said somberly. "It won't happen again" he promised, voice breaking slightly as he sniffled and surreptitiously wiped away at his eyes.

Carlisle sighed and pulled him into a hug. "Its okay Stefan" he said into his hair. "I was just really scared, that's all"

Rosalie scoffed downstairs. "Really? The same old crying trick? Both of them are masters at this. Mom and dad don't stand a chance. They'll be wrapped around their little fingers. And we're gonna be wishing for the days when Stefan and Edward did not get along"

Edward smiled slyly into Emmett's stomach.

She had no idea how right she was.