A/N: Feelin' a little let down, maybe the story has lost it's spark with some of you, I hope not, but that's what I've been feelin'. To be honest, things will pick up, meaning sex and violence, but for now I feel the need to show some of Damon/Stefan's background along with an intro into the werewolf side of things. Please R&R, I enjoy reading them, and hope that you all continue to like my story.
Disclaimer: I own nothing, just the plot.
Chapter Seven: New lives, and memories of old
"I don't think we've had a summer as hot as this one before." The voice of the seventeen year old Stefan Salvatore rang through the small field as he wiped the sweat from his tanned brow.
Damon, who was only in his early twenties, looked up from the work he had been doing, sweat too covered his forehead, but unlike that of his younger brother the older was not as tan. This was not normal, for the two had been working outside since the summer began, though all the while Damon's skin did not grow darker, and today it seemed almost paler than it had the day before. It did not help much that his hair was a shock of dark brown, near black, and his eyes were the color of the sky on a day such as this one. Stefan studied his older brother, making sure all was right with him, before shaking his head and going back to the work he had been doing before he spoke.
"It isn't all that bad, once you get used to it," Damon finally spoke, and Stefan could hear the pain within it, but said nothing as he bit his bottom lip lightly.
"Are you feeling well brother, you look awful pale."
"Maybe your eyes are bad little brother, for I am indeed w-"
Stefan watched as his older brother collapsed against the ground, without second though he dropped his own tools and hurried to his brother's side. Quickly he pressed a hand against Damon's forehead and pulled back with a soft wince. Damon was burning, but how was it possible that such a high fever had managed to find its way to him? Was it from the sun, or was it possible that something else had caused it? Stefan did not have the time to think on what caused the fever, instead he grabbed his brother from under his arm and pulled him up. With his strength Stefan pulled him into the home they shared with their father.
No one was in the home however, their father had taken a few days off to spend with friends, while the servants were out in town gathering food for the day. That left Stefan alone to care for Damon. Slowly he raised his brother to a bed, and placed him onto it before unbuttoning his shirt, he knew that because of the fever he needed to get it off, and when he did he nearly paled himself. A gash the size of Stefan's arm ran along Damon's chest, it was red and rather infected, Stefan now knew the source of his older brother's fever, but more questions ran through his head as he hurried to get two cool cloths. One for taking down Damon's fever, and the other for the wound.
"How did this happen brother, and why did you not tell anyone? Is your pride so great that you risk your health..?" Stefan muttered to himself, as he made his way back to Damon's side. "I will not allow you to die from this, please Damon..I need you," Stefan stopped himself, tears filled his green eyes.
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"Damon, are you alright?"
At Elena's soft touch Damon nearly jumped and attacked her, but instead he looked down at her hand before looking back to the night sky. They had been in Mystic Falls for over a month now, Sheila had been nice enough to allow them to stay with her until they found their own place, and for the three of them the home worked rather nicely. However, in their time in the town Elena noticed Damon had become more distant and seemed to feed less, it showed with the purple circles under his eyes, and the chalkiness of his skin, though she never question him, she did worry for him more than she did anyone else.
"I'm fine El, don't you worry about me, alright." Damon turned. He took Elena's hands into his own, and gave them a squeeze, kissed her forehead and then let go and walked back into the home.
It was the same every night. Elena would find him outside, she would ask if he was alright, and the answer he gave never changed. She did not question him, though in the back of her mind she wondered what was going on inside his head, what caused the man to seem to act as he was. She waited until she heard the door of the house close, and Sheila 's voice before she wrapped her arms around her chest and looked down before letting a few silver tears fall to the ground. Elena couldn't cry when Damon was around, she felt she had to be strong for him now, and she missed the times when he was strong for her.
'Won't you let me help you?' Elena thought, bitting her bottom lip, her head turned to face the wooden door.
Sheila had opened the door, she looked at Elena with a frown.
"What's brothering you child?" Her voice was warm. Elena needed warmth.
Sheila walked towards Elena, and slowly Elena felt her lips begin to tremble. The older woman opened her arms and instead of speaking Elena took the hug, she cried into the woman's arms, unable to say a word about how she felt inside. What she did not know was inside Damon was feeling the same way, that he was breaking down inside because he had come back. Damon had come home. Every human, and first vampire, memory was here.
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"Your pathetic..crying over me, like I'm dead.." Damon's voice was horse, and soon he was coughing.
At the sounds of his voice, and cough Stefan's head jerked up, he was about to say something when he saw blood trickle down Damon's chin. It was coming clear that Damon was in need of more medical help than what Stefan was able to give him. Slowly he frowned as he took his hand and wiped away the blood before shaking his head as he licked his lips lightly. What was he to do, he could not leave Damon alone, and yet no one was around, or so it felt to the youngest Salvatore.
"Please, Damon don't strain yourself." Stefan's voice was a whisper, for he knew if it was any louder it would of shook.
Stefan watched as Damon's eyes slowly closed, he listened to the sounds of his brother's breathing before rushing from the home to the town. He was in need of a doctor, and Stefan wouldn't allow his brother's pride to decide his fate, Stefan would not allow such a thing when he knew he was able to help Damon. A doctor was all he needed, and from what the servants had spoke of there was a new doctor in town, a man who had traveled far, but for a fair price was willing to stay in town and help those who needed. That was who Stefan needed to find.
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It was morning when Elena got the chance to see Damon again, but by then he was on his way towards a part of town she had not been to, and while she longed to follow after him she didn't, something inside her said to stay put. However, Elena could not listen to that side of herself very well and made her way from Sheila 's home to the market. Though she had been only once before at night, Elena was a bit scared to go again, and so she grabbed a scarlet cloak and slipped it on before slipping out of the home.
Once in the market she saw the life of the town, children ran the streets laughing and playing, vendors sold everything imaginable, and men walked about talking with ladies, while some just talked with other men. Elena's eyes grew large at the sights of it all, she could hardly keep a smile from forming onto her lips as she walked. Without noticing she almost tripped over a man who had been sitting on the ground, softly she apologized and was about to continue on her way when she ran into a man.
"Oh! I'm so sorry." Her hood had fell, Elena felt exposed, but she did nothing as her brown eyes took in the man she had run into.
He did not look much older than herself, his skin was tanned, his eyes and hair both dark, but there was something warm about him and also something almost not human. Elena composed herself, stepped back a little and blushed as she bit onto her bottom lip lightly, she had not noticed him, and now she felt bad.
"Don't worry about it, I should of seen where I was going," The man spoke in a voice that caused Elena to smile, he then looked down at her, "I don't believe I've seen your face around her before, I'm Tyler, but I go by Ty. What's yours?"
Elena slowly opened her mouth, and was ready to curtsy, but instead she simply said, "El." She then looked down for a moment, as she brushed a strand of hair away from her face before looking back up at Tyler.
"Nice to meet ya El, your not lost are ya? 'Cause if you were I could show you around."
Elena giggled softly, but nodded, and watched as Tyler held out his arm for her. She took it without even thinking of Damon, and began to walk with Tyler down the streets. He told her stories of the town, and from what Elena got through the jokes was that Tyler had lived in Mystic Falls all his life, and she rather enjoyed seeing life of that of someone who knew the town and who was willing to share stories and tales about what they knew of the town. All the while she wasn't thinking about Damon, no her mind was on Tyler, and how she felt safe and warm around him.
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"I'm sorry I kept you out so late, do you have a place to stay? Oh! Wait, before you answer that..would you like to come with me to my home, we have great homemade food and tonight is the first night of the celebration. We have this big fire, and tell stories, dance..if it does not sound fun I understand, I just thought..." Tyler trailed off, unsure of how to continue.
Elena smiled, she slowly stood on her tiptoes and placed a kiss to his cheek before she said, "That sounds like great fun, but I have someone I want to bring with me, would that be alright?"
Tyler chewed on his lip for a moment, before nodding, he then watched as Elena took off towards the homes, he did not know who she was bringing, but from the smell he had got on her he figured it was a vampire. She would of been wise to not mentioned it, for the celebration was one for werewolves, people who Tyler had called family, and to bring a vampire into the mix... Tyler shuttered at the thought, the last vampire that had come had been bit by one of the werewolves, a week later the vampire died...
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"Stefan Salvatore, brother to Damon and vampire who tries to be human. Sounds rather silly, can't you see the foolishness in such a thing, it won't be long before he exposes himself, and then what? Be locked up like his brother was, I wouldn't call that a good life, would you?" Katherine slowly circled Stefan, her eyes locked to his as she held a vervain laced knife in her hand.
Katherine had easily found the younger brother walking in the town, trying to forget Elena, and when he saw Katherine..well he got happy, until she knocked him out and drug him into the woods, and tied him to a tree with vervain laced rope. Stefan was powerless it seemed, as he watched the girl circle him-she had Elena's face, but the actions of a sour Damon. He however was rather interested in her, and what she did to him, because unlike Elena she held a sort of power about her. Something Stefan felt he could use, if she allowed him to be free.
"Don't bother with an answer, I don't need one." Katherine spat, as she looked deep into Stefan's green eyes. He was so not like his brother, that much was rather easy to see.
"Well, what do you need?" Stefan managed to whisper, trying to not let a wince come out. The ropes were digging more into his skin, and he was not like Damon, he did not have a strong will for pain.
At hearing Stefan speak, Katherine grinned a devilish grin, one Stefan had seen many times before on his brother, and on the man who made them like they were today. Was it possible..no, because the vervain did not hurt her, but there was something about Katherine, something Stefan could not place into words as he watched her. She stopped grinning and ran the blade of the knife along his chest, bitting his lip Stefan tried to not scream out in pain...
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"Sheila , where is Damon?"
Elena walked into Sheila 's house, not finding Damon, she also had not seen him outside either, which caused her to frown as she looked around the house before looking back to Sheila . She tried to not look too worried, she knew that he could of been somewhere that she didn't know, or he could be in the bath again. It seemed Damon took a lot of baths since they came, not that Elena minded, but still.
"He's not here my child." Sheila told Elena with an easy voice.
"What do you mean?" Elena felt like screaming, tears filled in her eyes as she looked at the older woman, waiting for her to say something, anything!
"Someone took him..."
Elena felt sick to her stomach. She couldn't think of anyone in the town who did not like Damon, every was friendly here. Her head was spinning, as she looked at Sheila , trying to figure everything out, and then she looked to the door. Was it possible Damon had just left on his own, but told the old witch to tell her someone took him? No, Damon wouldn't do that..