Stefan.
Stefan walked home after a draining day of school. He really needed to talk to Damon. Stefan arrived home before Damon did. He paced the living room, and rubbed his face with his hands stressfully, until Damon walked in. Stefan saw Damon's eyes were dark blue with hatred. Stefan felt himself flinch at how much it looked like Damon wanted to kill someone. Damon just brushed past the little brother without giving it a single thought, and walked straight up the stairs to his bedroom. Stefan let out a stressed sigh and collapsed into the armchair. Stefan thought about ways to confront the 171 year old vampire. After about an hour Stefan finally figured out what he was going to say. Stefan marched up the stairs and opened the door to Damon's bedroom. He was about to barge into the room until he saw his older brother fast asleep in his bed. Stefan smiled, and closed the bedroom door slowly. Stefan made his way across the room quietly and slowly sat down on the sleeping vampire's bed. Damon looked so peaceful that Stefan thought that this wasn't actually real. He smiled when he realized that this was actually reality. Damon hadn't slept in who knows how long, and Stefan was so happy that he was finally able to fall asleep.
Stefan was going to make sure his brother would get healthy again. No matter what. He couldn't stand seeing Damon look like he was on the verge of death. It scared Stefan. He would force food down Damon's throat if he didn't eat. Stefan decided this was what he was going to do. No matter what. Damon meant everything to him, even though Stefan would never admit that out loud.
Stefan was broken out of his thoughts when he saw Damon's peaceful face contort with fear. Damon groaned and threw his head to one side. Stefan started to shake the older vampire.
"Damon, wake up," Stefan comforted. Damon was now breaking out in a cold sweat, and he was starting to thrash around. "Damon!" Stefan practically screamed, shaking the brother harder. "Damon!" Stefan yelled on the top of his lungs, now shaking his older brother with his vampire strength. Damon's eyes shot open. He looked around wildly until he spotted Stefan. When he saw Stefan tears immediately started leaking out of his eyes.
"S-S-Stefan?" Damon questioned weakly, as if he couldn't believe Stefan was there.
"I'm right here," Stefan replied worriedly, placing a hand on the frightened vampire's shoulder.
"H-h-how?" he stuttered. "How are you here?" Damon asked, still shaking like crazy, tears falling like waterfalls now.
"What do you mean?" Stefan questioned in a confused tone. Damon just squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head. He opened them again and his eyes widened again.
"I-I don't understand," Damon cried in just barely over a whisper.
"What do you not understand?" Stefan asked. Damon didn't say anything, he just moved closer to Stefan, and wrapped his arms around his little brother. Stefan was shocked at the sudden embrace but he definitely wasn't upset about it, so he wrapped his arms around the older brother. But it was scaring Stefan because Damon never hugged Stefan. Ever. "Damon, what's going on? You're scaring me," he questioned worriedly.
"I don't understand," Damon repeated. "You're-you're dead," Damon sobbed, squeezing Stefan with his vampire strength. Stefan felt himself get sick to his stomach, and his arms dropped from the embrace.
Damon had a nightmare that I died? Stefan thought vigorously. He shook his head, and wrapped his arms around his older brother again.
"It's going to be okay," Stefan stated, rubbing circles on his sobbing brother's back. "I'm okay. I'm not dead," he explained comfortingly. "It was just a dream," Stefan comforted, now running his hands through Damon's hair. Stefan just continued to run his hands through his hair, and whispering soft comforting words to Damon, until he felt Damon's body untense. He had finally exhausted himself by sobbing so hard. Stefan moved Damon to lay down in his bed. Stefan sighed, and rubbed his face with his hands. He was exhausted but he was going to stay awake to make sure Damon didn't have another nightmare. Stefan dragged the armchair that was in the corner of the room to the side of Damon's bed, and he immediately collapsed into the armchair. He watched his brother sleep for a long time until the exhaustion finally got the better of Stefan.
Stefan woke up with a start when he heard something hit something. Stefan looked around the bedroom and saw that Damon wasn't there. Stefan figured the noise came from outside so Stefan used his vampire speed to run down the stairs, open the door, and see what was happening outside. There he saw Elena who was pinned to a pillar by none other than Damon.
"Damon!" Stefan barked angrily. "Back off!" he yelled at the older vampire. Stefan grabbed Damon's arm and pulled him close to him. "She's not Katherine," Stefan whispered through gritted teeth. Damon just smiled, hit Stefan on the shoulder, and walked back into the house.
"I'm so sorry about him," Stefan apologized.
"I can hear you!" Damon yelled from inside. "That's very rude!"
"Shut the hell up Damon!" Stefan yelled back. Damon was starting to get on his nerves when it came to Elena. Stefan would never let Damon hurt Elena. Ever. "What did he do?" Stefan asked in annoyance, turning his focus back to Elena.
"He just told me to go away and then started to walk towards me. He looks like a psychopath," Elena shuddered.
"Oh, I'm so sorry," Stefan mumbled. "I'll talk to him about it," he added. "So what are you doing here?" Stefan questioned.
"I just wanted to make sure you were okay," Elena admitted.
"I'm okay," he lied. "We haven't had time to talk about it. He's still furious at me," Stefan stated sadly. But Stefan immediately lit up when he remembered something. "But, on a happier note. I was going to come to your house to do this but since you're here, I'll do it right now," Stefan paused, grabbing the rose he had picked from the garden. "Will you come to the back to school party with me?" Stefan asked, giving Elena the rose.
"Of course!" Elena blushed, taking the rose. "Well I gotta get ready for this party then!" Elena exclaimed. Stefan nodded.
"See you tonight!" Stefan replied happily, walking back into his house.
"It took you that long to ask Elena? I had to choose between the 34 girls that asked me," Damon mocked Stefan from the couch. Stefan just groaned and shut the door.
"So what was that about?!" Stefan questioned angrily, once he was sure that Elena couldn't hear him.
"What?" Damon laughed weakly.
"You know what! You were going to hurt Elena!" Stefan yelled.
"She wouldn't leave me alone!" Damon snapped back.
"Really?! That's your excuse?!" Stefan screamed. He didn't believe for one second that that was the reason that Damon had done that.
"Yes it is Stefan!" He yelled back, but there seemed to be some hesitation in what he was saying as though he was going to say something else.
"Don't lie to me!" Stefan screamed.
"Okay fine! You want the truth? I'll give you the truth!" Damon snapped back angrily. "I had just woken up! I thought she was Katherine! She was asking for you, and I got so angry!" Damon paused. "After all you did steal Katherine from me!" He added angrily.
"I didn't steal Katherine from you!" Stefan yelled back.
"Yes you did! She loved me, and you tried to get her to love you!"
"No I didn't! You made her love you, she loved me by free will! She was just using you Damon! When are you going to see that?!" Stefan told his brother angrily.
"She was not using me!" Damon yelled back. But Stefan saw in his brother's eyes that deep down he knew that what Stefan had said was true.
"Yes she was! She never loved you! It was always me! Katherine chose me!" Stefan told Damon angrily, but he instantly regretted it. Damon's eyes widened and turned dark blue.
"What are you talking about?" Damon questioned quietly. "Katerina loved me!" Damon yelled, changing his tone so fast that Stefan jumped. Stefan also knew Damon was being serious because he used Katherine's real name, Katerina. "I will find her in the tomb and bring her back!" Damon told Stefan angrily. A sudden wave of understanding hit Stefan.
"So the real reason you're here is to get Katherine out of the tomb," Stefan laughed sadly. Damon just looked down at the floor and then spoke.
"Can we not talk about Katerina," he said so quietly that Stefan wouldn't have been able to hear him if it weren't for his vampire hearing. Stefan just laughed sadly and shook his head.
"So it is, I can't believe you," Damon just shook his head and left the room. Stefan grabbed one of the glasses that were on the table and threw it against the wall. The cup shattered, and Stefan ran upstairs to his room and slammed the door shut. He grabbed one of his pillows and threw it at the wall but told himself to calm down.
I should get ready for this dance. Stefan thought. Stefan convinced himself that this is what he should focus on, instead of the fact that Damon was just using him to get to Katherine. He grumpily got changed into a black suit and a blue tie. He then looked at his desk and saw there was a necklace sitting on it. Oh my god I almost forgot! Stefan thought, picking up the necklace that he had found for Elena. Stefan had found it in the Salvatore Boarding house's private library. It was full of vervain so Stefan decided to give it to Elena so no one could compel her. Stefan picked up the necklace but dropped it immediately when it burned his hand.
"Ow," Stefan mumbled out loud, putting on a pair of black silky gloves. He picked up the necklace and put it in a light purple box. He then walked to Elena's house. Stefan picked Elena up at her house and gave her the necklace, and a bouquet of flowers he had bought for her. Then the two of them walked happily to the dance together.
Once Stefan and Elena got to the dance, he looked around to see how beautifully decorated the gym was. It was completely unrecognizable. Stefan looked back at Elena and saw that she was staring at someone. Stefan figured out it was Caroline, he just shrugged and looked back at Elena again. Stefan saw Elena's eyes go wide in horror, Stefan looked back at Caroline to see the potential threat, and his eyes widened too when he saw Caroline's date to the dance was Damon. Elena immediately looked over at Stefan.
"C-Caroline," she stuttered quietly. Elena's eyes were just pleading Stefan to do anything to get Caroline away from Damon. "I'm going to go talk to her," Elena said, marching towards her best friend. Stefan watched his older brother dance with Caroline. He twirled Caroline, and smiled evilly. Stefan cursed at his brother, he knew that he was just using Caroline. Stefan also knew Damon was just going to feed on Caroline. Stefan followed Elena quickly, he wasn't going to let Damon do anything to Elena or Caroline.
"Caroline, can I talk to you?" Elena asked anxiously.
"Uhh sure, what's up, Elena?" Caroline questioned, turning away from Damon. Damon just frowned and met direct eye contact with Stefan. His eyes were blazing with hatred for the younger vampire.
"Could I talk to you in private?" Elena said softly. Caroline just looked at Damon with a confused expression. He shrugged and gestured to her that it was fine.
"We can dance again when you get back," Damon stated giving her a smile. For a second Stefan saw just a little bit of compassion in that smile, but it then again returned to a smile that only showed manipulation. Caroline blushed and walked outside with Elena and Stefan.
"What do you need Elena?" Caroline asked in an annoyed tone, fixing her short red dress.
"You didn't tell me your date to the dance was Damon Salvatore," Elena told Caroline.
"I told you it was a surprise!" Caroline smiled.
"You can't date Damon," Elena said, getting right to the point.
"What?!" Caroline exclaimed. "What the hell Elena?!" She questioned angrily. "You can't have every boy in the school!" She yelled. Stefan could tell that that comment had made Elena angry.
"Caroline, listen to me," Stefan interjected calmly. Caroline just rolled her eyes and looked at Stefan. "My brother is dangerous," he stated.
"How is he dangerous?!" Caroline snapped back. Stefan's eyes widened in horror when he noticed something. Caroline was wearing a red silk scarf around her neck.
"What's this?" Stefan questioned, pointing at the scarf.
"It's a scarf," Caroline said, rolling her eyes.
"I mean why are you wearing it?" Stefan asked, changing his approach.
"It looked good with this dress. Damon told me so too," Caroline spat. That's when Stefan realized that Damon had compelled her.
"What did you do before you came here?" Stefan asked anxiously.
"I-I don't remember," Caroline stuttered.
"Oh god Damon," Stefan mumbled, walking away from Caroline. He marched straight to his brother, who was dancing and with another blonde girl. Stefan grabbed him by the arm, and pulled the older vampire into the bathroom.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Damon snapped at Stefan. "I was dancing!" Damon pouted.
"No, what are you doing?!" Stefan said angrily.
"Did you not hear me, smart ass? I just said I was dancing," Damon snapped back wittily.
"Why are you feeding on Caroline?!" Stefan practically yelled, getting straight to the point.
"Relax, little bro," Damon said calmly. "She doesn't remember any of it," he stated, as though that made what he did right.
"So?!" Stefan snapped back angrily. "You can't feed on Caroline! Or any of Elena's friends! Or anyone in this town!" Stefan told his older brother.
"Why?" Damon exaggerated. "But I'm hungry!" he pouted.
"Damon! Leave Caroline alone!"
"Okay fine! I'll leave Care Bear alone," he groaned. "Scouts honor," he said sarcastically, putting his hand over his heart. Stefan just rolled his eyes.
"Thank you brother," Stefan replied, walking out of the bathroom. Until he heard a voice that didn't sound like his brothers.
"Uhh?" This person questioned quietly. Stefan turned around and saw Damon was staring down a 13 year old kid that came to the back to school party.
"Stef, we got a red flag," Damon stated, staring his icy blue eyes into the terrified ones of the 13 year old. "You will go back to the party and you will have so much fun that you will forget what you heard and saw in this bathroom," Damon said, compelling the 13 year old boy. The boy nodded, and spoke in a hypnotized tone.
"I will go back to the party and I will have so much fun that I will forget what I heard and saw in this bathroom," he then walked out of the bathroom.
"Dealt with it," Damon stated. "And now you have to deal with me!" The older brother sang, dancing his way out of the bathroom.
"Damon-" Stefan said hastily, quickly following the dancing vampire. He watched Damon dance across the dance floor with any girl he could get his hands on. That is until he spotted Caroline. Damon gave an evil glance at Stefan and made his way towards Caroline. Stefan rushed over to Caroline as well, until he reached where she was and saw that Caroline or Damon were nowhere to be seen.
Oh no this isn't good. Stefan thought vigorously.
"Elena?" Stefan called, making his way through the crowd. "Elena?!" he practically yelled. He couldn't see Elena anywhere, and he was really starting to get worried. "Elena?!" He called again, not getting an answer in return.
Damn it. Stefan thought. But all of a sudden Stefan felt himself hit something.
"Sorry," he muttered.
"I don't think sorry is going to cut it, new kid," this person laughed. Stefan saw it was Tyler.
"Oh come on Tyler. I don't have time for this," Stefan stated, still looking for any sign of the 3 people that had miraculously disappeared.
"I think you have plenty of time," Tyler sneered.
"Tyler, just leave me alone. We can settle this on the court, okay?" Stefan asked hopefully. He then walked past Tyler quickly.
"Fine! We'll take it to the court!" Tyler yelled. Stefan just groaned in annoyance and started thinking about any place that Damon would be. Stefan walked outside of the gym to try and catch his breath, and to try to think clearly. But his thoughts were interrupted by bickering from the nearest girls bathroom. Stefan used his vampire hearing to listen to what they were saying.
"What are you wearing?" A girl asked. Stefan's eyes widened in relief when he heard it was Elena.
"Just a scarf-" the other girl answered. It was Caroline. Stefan sighed in relief when he heard their voices because that meant that Damon's disappearance had nothing to do with anything bad. "Elena, hey!" Caroline screamed.
"Oh my god, Caroline!" Elena screamed in horror. "Did Damon hurt you?!" She questioned in a terrified tone.
"No Elena! An animal attacked me!" Caroline snapped back.
Oh my god Damon. Stefan thought, in horror. Classic Damon, that's always the excuse he uses to compel people so he can feed on them. Stefan groaned.
"Just leave me alone, you jerk!" Caroline screamed, marching out of the bathroom. Stefan waited about 30 seconds until Elena walked out of the bathroom as well.
"Elena-" Stefan started.
"Stefan, just leave me alone. I don't feel like talking about this right now," she interrupted. Stefan just nodded because her voice sounded so strained. "I need to talk to Caroline," Elena added, brushing right past the worried vampire. Stefan just stood there for a solid 5 minutes wondering when she would come back.
What a great day this is. Stefan thought. He then finally decided he was going to look for Elena. Stefan walked into the parking lot and his eyes widened in horror when he saw Elena talking to Damon. He used his vampire hearing to listen to the conversation.
"You want me to kiss me, because Stefan is watching," Damon compelled Elena. Stefan watched in horror as Elena leaned towards his older brother. Damon smiled evilly, at Stefan's expression. Stefan squeezed his eyes shut, he was not going to watch Elena kiss Damon, without her own free will. Stefan just stood there and waited, but his eyes shot open when he heard a giant bang. Elena had slapped Damon across the face. Damon looked completely shocked, and that's when Stefan remembered the necklace that he had given Elena was full of vervain. She couldn't be compelled.
"What the hell?!" Elena yelled at Damon. "Why in the world would I do that?!" Elena questioned angrily, walking away from the confused older vampire. Elena walked up to Stefan. "What the hell is wrong with your older brother?!" She snapped angrily.
"He tried to compel you," Stefan stated, starting to walk further away from his shocked older brother. Elena followed Stefan quickly.
"What does that mean?" Elena questioned.
"Vampires have a special skill," Stefan started. Elena gave him a confused look. "It's mind control, Elena," he explained. Her eyes widened in horror.
"Why didn't it work on me?" She asked vigorously.
"Because of that," Stefan stated, pointing at the necklace. Elena graced the necklace between her fingers. "Make sure you keep that on," he told her, and she nodded in answer. The couple walked in silence for a bit until Elena spoke up.
"Did Damon hurt Caroline?" Elena questioned. Stefan knew that she needed to know for sure.
"Yes he did. I promise you I'll-" Stefan started.
"No! I want him gone!" Elena yelled at Stefan. His eyes widened, he couldn't make Damon leave. He had waited for Damon to come back for 150 years, and now that he finally got his brother back, Elena wanted him gone? Stefan was never going to lose his brother again.
"Elena, he's my brother," Stefan stated.
"He's hurting Caroline!" Elena yelled.
"Elena!" Stefan yelled back, grabbing her by the shoulders. "He's my brother. He's more important than anything to me. You have to realize that," Stefan explained.
"He's a murder!" Elena countered, shaking Stefan off of her.
"He's my brother! I'm not going to tell my brother to get out of here!" Stefan yelled again. "I missed him Elena! And now that I finally have him back after 150 years, you're telling me that I need to get him out of town?!" He added furiously. He looked back to where his brother was standing, but he saw that he wasn't there anymore. "Oh no," Stefan mumbled.
"What?!" Elena snapped back.
"Damon's gone," he told her. Stefan was gone in a flash. He spotted Damon in the parking lot. "Damon, what are you doing?" Stefan asked wildly.
"Did you give her vervain?" Damon asked.
"Yes I did! Because I knew that you would try and compel her!" Stefan yelled at the older brother.
"Why?" He questioned quietly.
"I don't know," Stefan stated. "I just wanted to make sure she could make her own decisions," he explained.
"You wanted to protect her from me," he stated quietly. Stefan heard his voice break. "Right?!" Damon yelled, making the younger brother jump.
"I didn't want you to hurt her!" Stefan admitted. Damon laughed sadly, shaking his head.
"Finally the truth is revealed,"
"You are only here to get Katherine anyway!" Stefan yelled back. Stefan saw Damon's jaw tighten, and he balled his hands into fists. He looked furious, but Stefan knew that he was holding himself back from saying anything. "Also, I know that you wouldn't hurt anyone," Stefan stated softly, finally saying what he might even believe. Stefan watched as a door nearby opened, and Stefan's history teacher walked out of it. Stefan's eyes flicked back to his older brother when he saw him smile.
"Oh yeah?" Damon questioned evilly. He then used his vampire speed and pulled out the history teacher's heart. Leaving him dead in the middle of the parking lot.
"Damon!" Stefan screamed, running over to the dead body. Stefan kneeled down next to the body, and tried feeding him some of Stefan's blood. A vampire's blood can heal a dying person. But Stefan's history teacher was already dead, it wouldn't work. Stefan looked up at Damon, but he didn't see Damon. Damon was covered in blood, and had the most psychotic look on his face. All Stefan saw was a monster. He didn't see his older brother that used to read him bedtime stories, and make him pancakes on the weekends. He didn't see the broken boy who Stefan used to play football with, and would patch Stefan up after he fell off his bike. He saw a terrifying monster.
"Do you want to bet on that brother?" Damon asked manically, dropping the heart right next to the dead body. After that Damon disappeared, and Stefan went to report the body to the cops.
When the cops came everyone rushed out of the gym to see what was going on. Stefan saw Bonnie lean against one of the cars, staring at a bunch of things in horror. He walked over to her just to make sure she was okay.
"Bonnie, are you okay?" Stefan questioned.
"8, 14, and 22," Bonnie whispered.
"What?"
"8, 14, and 22," she repeated. Stefan looked around and saw that there was a number 8 painted on the school wall, a number 14 on the car next to the body's license plate, and the body of their history teacher was lying in the 22nd parking space.
Bennet family witches. Stefan thought, finally connecting the dots. She's becoming a witch. And most likely she's had a vision about those numbers. Stefan figured it out in his head.
"It's going to be okay Bonnie," Stefan stated calmly. Bonnie just nodded. "Well I'm going to go find Elena," Stefan said, walking away. He made his way through the crowd until he found Elena.
"What happened?" Elena asked in pure terror. "Nothing like this ever happens in Mystic Falls," Elena stated, trying to comfort herself. But Stefan could tell it really wasn't working.
"It was Damon, but I swear-" Stefan started.
"Your brother killed someone, Stefan?!" She whispered angrily.
"I know. I'm going to talk to him about it," he paused. "He was angry and hurt, Elena," he sighed. "He didn't know what he was doing. He was in the wrong headspace," Stefan added, trying to convince himself that his brother was not a monster.
"I can't deal with this right now," Elena stated, letting out a stressed laugh. "Why can't you see that he's the villain Stefan?!" she said, raising her voice a little bit.
"He's not a villain!" Stefan snapped back.
"I can't believe you," Elena laughed angrily. She brushed right past Stefan, and Stefan could tell that she was probably heading home. He really didn't blame her. Tonight was wild.
Stefan needed to convince Elena that Damon wasn't a monster. But Damon was not making that easy for himself. But before Stefan could convince Elena, he had to convince himself first. And in all honesty he didn't think that would be that hard. Damon was his brother after all.