Stefan's heart stopped. He had forced himself to forget about that house.
"The Salvatore Estate." he whispered. "What has become of it now? Who owns it now?" Stefan remembered that the Estate would have been passed down to him, if he and Damon hadn't…..
"We do." Elena interrupted his thoughts. "Damon bought it, and he's given it to us, as a wedding gift."
"Damon gave me a house that I died in?" he asked.
"Stefan, come on. You and Damon don't still hate each other do you?"
"No, but…"
"I know, it has bad memories for you. But you remembered bad things when you first saw me. I soon changed that didn't I?"
Stefan nodded.
"So we can wipe the slate clean. Those memories will disappear when we make new memories. Good memories." Elena took his hands. "Stefan, please, it's a gift that we can't turn down. It's a beautiful gift, and Damon gave it with good intentions."
Stefan slowly gave in. He didn't want to live in the very place he had died, but if his brother wished to give him such a gift, he would accept it with grace. Elena got ready for bed. Stefan climbed in next to her looking at the ceiling, thinking of his brother. He listened to Elena's breathing, and climbed out of bed when he knew she was asleep.
The estate was exactly as he remembered it. It seemed that it had been taken care of over all those centuries. He walked to the spot that he had died and knelt down on one knee touching the ground with his hand. He could see the fight between him and his brother, his heart tearing. "I killed my brother here, I died here. How am I supposed to forget that?" he murmured softly. He looked around the dark grounds, walking towards a place that he hadn't wanted to think about. The tree. He found himself standing at the tree. The rock was still there. Stefan pictured Katherine's so called remains there, her note on the rock, with her ring. He remembered how he had felt discovering it all right here. How he had hated his brother as they fought. And he wondered why Damon had chosen this as a gift? Was this Damon's way of making Stefan feel guilty. Was Damon purposely bringing the past back. He turned from the spot. He held no feelings for Katherine now. He didn't hate his brother now, so why were these emotions so strong. Again, he wondered how he was supposed to start a clean slate with the past so strong. He walked towards the house, letting himself in, smiling. No humans lived here, he hadn't needed an invitation. He carried on until he found his own quarters. The room was as he remembered it. He walked towards his father's room, and gasped. Furniture had been thrown around in this room. Stefan saw a shattered window, and broken mirror. He shut the door quickly, not wanting to know what had happened. Then, at last, Stefan had found his way to his brother's room. He stood in the room, looking out the window. Damon had hated the place, why had he kept it all these years?
"Brings back memories doesn't it little brother?" Stefan felt his brother beside him and didn't bother looking at him. He had felt his brother's presence for the first time and knew that his brother would reveal himself soon enough.
"Memories that I don't care to have come back." he said quietly. Damon's voice was equally quiet. He also sounded amused.
"But did Elena not explain it to you? You could make newer, happier memories. I can just see it now. You could have a puppy running around in the garden there. Elena can walk around the garden with you." Damon moved away, and Stefan felt what Damon was feeling.
"There's more to it then that isn't there Damon? It's where you planned on taking her." Stefan said softly. He saw in Damon's eyes that he was right. "You wanted to share all this with her." Damon didn't answer. He went back to looking out the window, his face blank. Stefan understood then. "does this mean I have your blessing big brother?" he asked. Damon's nod was so slight, Stefan almost missed it.
"I did have this in mind. I wanted her to come with me. I wanted to bring her here." Damon was far away. "I wanted her light to chase away the shadowy past." Stefan nodded, feeling his heart swell with pride.
"don't go feeling sentimental on me little brother, or I might retract my little offer." Damon sounded like himself at that.
"Will you come to the wedding at least?" Stefan was almost too afraid to ask, in fear that his brother would laugh at his request. "Will you be my best man?"
Damon did laugh.
"I don't know why you asked me little brother. I'm sure you have better choices." but Stefan just shook his head. Damon looked at him then.
"Why did you hide from us for so long?" he asked of his brother, not getting an answer. Only a question.
"Are you happy brother?" Damon asked. Stefan frowned. He opened his mouth to speak, but Damon interrupted. "No, don't answer yet. Think about it. Are you happy? Are you happy marrying a human? She has already died twice because of our world. She deserves to be happy." Stefan answered after a moments thought.
"She choses to be with me," he said, noticing how those words cut into Damon. "If she wasn't happy with me, she would be elsewhere right now. Yes, she died twice, but she has been given another chance at happiness. She choses to be here in Italy. She choses to be marrying me. I agree, she deserves to be happy, and she is." Damon's next words bought dread into his heart.
"so tell me brother, what does she search for on her midnight walks. When she should be sleeping at your side, why does she choose to risk her life looking for me? I can't hold off the vampires forever you know. I can't protect her all the time."
Stefan couldn't hide his surprise. Damon saw it. "So you didn't know that she searches for me, there's a twist."
"I'm sure she was just trying to help me find you." Stefan replied, but his response sounded hollow to his ears. Damon shrugged.
"I will think about your offer, if you will think about mine" said Damon, referring to the wedding and to the wedding gift. There was a blur of movement and Damon was gone.
'I do wish he would stop doing that.' Stefan thought, and went home to Elena.