I'm sorry it's been so long since I updated last. This story should be finished within the next couple of chapters. Thanks for your patience. Enjoy.
Damon peered out of the windshield to where she was pointing. "Yeah... and it looks like he's picked up carryout."
"You don't think he'd actually hurt someone do you?" There was definite concern in her voice.
Damon's eyes followed Stefan as he pulled the woman tighter to him. "Blondie said there were blood bags everywhere right?" He shot her a glance. "Means he's prime for a bender."
Elena quickly reached for the door handle. "We have to do something before he kills her."
He put his hand on her arm, stopping her. "Hey, the only place you're going is home. I want you to get in your car and leave." When she didn't move, he firmly said, "Now."
She shook her head adamantly refusing. "No! Damon he needs..."
He raised his voice cutting her off before she could argue with him. "Elena. You need to leave. I'll take care of this." She stared back at him blankly. "If he sees us together that will put him over the edge. Go home. I'll call you later."
The fire in her extinguished when she realized he was right. Knowing he was right didn't mean she liked it. She firmed her lips together and gave him a quick nod. They got out of the car at the same time. She hesitated, turning back to look at Damon. He gave her a reassuring nod as he watched her get into her car.
In the meantime, Stefan had lured the woman back to his car, parked behind the Grille, out of the view of heavy foot traffic. He'd opened the door for the woman, extending his hand to help her into the car. He said, "Please, allow me." Her smile beamed, impressed by his chivalrous gesture. As she placed her hand in his, Stefan heard a familiar voice behind him.
"What are you doing there, brother?"
The woman beside Stefan turned to see who was behind them. But Stefan knew without even having to face him. He simply replied, "Damon."
Incredulously, the woman said to Stefan, "This is your brother?" A naughty smile spread across her lips. Her eyes slithered up and down Damon's body. It was obvious she was drooling over the man in front of her who dripped with sex. "Wow you're parents sure knew how to produce some killer-looking children."
Damon smiled sardonically. He purred, "Mmm you have no idea just how right you are." Turning his attention back to his brother, he cocked his head, gauging Stefan's mental state. "Grabbing some dinner are you?"
Stefan's irritation was showing. "You're interrupting my date Damon. I was just about to take her home."
Damon raised his brow inquisitively. "In one piece I hope."
Stefan tilted his head up to look at the sky. He gave a wicked chuckle, as a manic smile spread across his lips. Before he answered, he rolled and cracked his neck to relieve the tension. His brother's presence was definitely an inconvenience. His mouth had been watering for a taste of this woman since he'd lured her to the parking lot. He'd thoroughly enjoyed playing the cunning predator, like a cat playing with a mouse until it dies. But his patience was wearing thin. The sound of her heart beat pounding in his ears made his teeth ache to sink into her artery. It had been far too long since he allowed himself the pleasure of being a vampire. He certainly didn't need his big brother playing the hypocrite and ruining all his fun. He shot his brother a sinister look. Smugly, he replied, "Maybe, maybe not."
Up until this point, the woman had been too caught up in her drunken haze and the charm of her would be suitor to realize she was in danger. However, Stefan's comment certainly caught her attention. "Wait, what?" She nervously chuckled. "You're kidding, right?" Stefan flashed a smile without replying, raising his eyebrows up and down. Suddenly she became acutely aware that the man she was about to get into a car with was clearly unstable. She turned a panicked look towards Damon. "He's joking right? She laughed nervously.
Damon shook his head and grimaced. He sucked in some air to make a hissing sound. He furrowed his eyebrows and frowned. Shaking his head side to side, he said, "Actually, he's not." The woman stared at him in shock. "To be honest, I'm surprised you're still in one piece. Restraint isn't exactly my brother's strong suit," he said with flippancy.
The woman's head whipped around to look back at Stefan. Stefan smirked back at her manically. She turned back to Damon and attempted to run past him. Damon caught her with one arm around her waist, and positioned her in front of him. Before she could scream, he looked into her eyes. "Don't scream." Her eyes glazed over under his compulsion, but the look of horror still remained on her face. "You're going to forget about this. You went to the bar. You met a guy who bought you some drinks. He turned out to be a dick so you left alone." She nodded her head slowly in understanding. "Now calmly go to your car, get in and go home."
As the woman walked away, Stefan rolled his eyes, letting out an annoyed sigh. "Thanks a lot. Now I have to all start over."
Exasperated, Damon said, "Start over? No way. You're not starting over. You're going home before you do something you'll regret."
"What are you my father?" he said, throwing Damon's own words back at him. He looked Damon in the eyes taunting him. "I killed him remember?"
Damon was unfazed by his attempt to intimidate him. "Yeah and since then you haven't been able to control yourself, which proves my point. You get the taste of fresh blood from the vein, and you'll kill someone. And that will take you one step closer to going all Ripper again. I can't let that happen."
"Why, because you'll know you're responsible for over pushing me into it again? Too bad. I'm not going to deprive myself to ease your conscience, or Elena's for that matter."
"No, Stefan it's not about me and Elena. It's about what it does to you. I've seen you lose control dozens of times over the centuries. I'm trying to save you from all that guilt when you finally come to your senses," he said with a pleading sense of urgency in his voice.
"Oh I'm sorry so now I'm supposed to believe you care about how I feel?" Stefan scoffed at the thought.
"Look I know you don't believe me right now, but I do care Stefan. You're my brother. You're all I've got."
"You're right Damon, I don't believe you." Distain laced every word he spoke. "You see, I don't make it a habit of trusting people who stab me through my heart," he stepped closer into Damon's personal space. He poked Damon in the chest with his forefinger. "Especially when it comes from someone I should've been able to trust like my own brother." Stefan turned abruptly and walked away.
Damon sped in front of him. He placed a hand on Stefan's chest to stop him. "Whao, whao, whao where are you going?"
"To find something to eat. I'm starving. You just ran my dinner off remember?"
In the past, whenever Stefan said he was going to find something to eat, Damon knew he meant hunting woodland creatures. Now given Stefan's current frame of mind, Damon couldn't be so sure. He suggested, "Well would you look at that. I'm suddenly famished myself. Why don't we go hunting together. We can do some brother bonding, work out this mess. I can grab a camper, you can grab a furry critter. I've heard the bunny population is booming these days."
"Oh I'm done with feeding on animals. Wasn't it you who always said they made me weak? Besides, you were right all along. It's much more satisfying embracing my vampirism than sublimating." Stefan slapped him hard twice on the shoulder, giving him a rough shake. Then he moved past Damon and walked around to the driver's side of the car. He opened the door to get in only to see Damon plopping himself down in the passenger's seat next to him. Irritated, he said, "What the Hell do you think you're doing? Get out of my car Damon."
"Come on Stefan, you're in this state of emotional turmoil because of me. Let me help you. We can fix this together," Damon pleaded.
"I don't want your help. I'd rather go on a ripper binge than take help from you." He knew how to dig just right to make Damon feel guilty.
"Stefan…"
Stefan gave a chuckle. "Relax Damon. I didn't say I was going to. I said I'd rather. You see unlike you I don't lash out, destroying other peoples' lives because someone screwed me over. I'm better than that," he said more as a dig to Damon than because he actually believed it. "I've got it under control. I'm going home, grab a drink then pilfer through her stash of blood bags." He smirked at Damon, knowing Damon would still have an issue with his ability to control himself even with blood bags. Yet it was something he knew would be harder for Damon to argue with him over, since Damon at one time urged him to try moderation.
Even though Stefan wouldn't accept his help, Damon felt a sense of relief that he'd at least gotten through to him enough to stop him from ripping someone apart. He'd much rather have him tear through a case of blood bags at home where he could at least keep an eye on him.
"And by the way, if I were going to "bond," Stefan raised his fingers up to make a quotation sign, "with anyone over blood, it's certainly wouldn't be with you, brother. Now get out of my car and leave me alone." Stefan turned the key in the ignition and started the car.
Damon firmed his lips in frustration, letting out a frustrated growl. Reluctantly, he conceded. "Fine, but I'll be right behind you." He shook his head as he got out of the car.
Stefan stared blankly out of the front windshield indifferent. "Whatever." He pulled the gear into drive and pressed the gas pedal to the floor. The passenger side door barely had time to shut, before Stefan tore out of the parking lot at full speed, leaving a cloud of dust in his wake.
Damon fisted his hands and cursed. "Damn it Stefan." By the time he reached his car, Stefan was long gone.
When he arrived back at the Salvatore Boarding house, Damon's heart clenched with panic to see that Stefan's car wasn't in the driveway. There was no way he should've made it home before Stefan, unless Stefan never intended on going home. He cursed under his breath. He put his car in gear, ready to go back out and look for him. Before he could turn around, he saw Stefan's red Porche pull up next to him. Damon got out of his car at the same time Stefan exited his.
Stefan made his way up the walkway, ignoring Damon completely, whistling a happy tune like he didn't have a care in the world. Damon slammed his car door shut and followed his brother into the house. "What the hell took you so long?" he yelled to Stefan's back. Stefan was well ahead him as they made their way to the great room.
"We were out of bourbon." Stefan shook the bottle he'd pulled out of a brown paper bag. He walked over to the bar and grabbed a glass, filling it with ice cubes. "You should know this," answering casually. He poured the bourbon into the waiting glass then gulped it down all at once. He poured himself another then began to walk away with the glass and bottle in hand. He called behind him, "I'm going upstairs."
"What about the blood bags? I thought you said you were starving." Damon's face was contorted in confusion.
Stefan stopped, turning to look at him. He shrugged. "Nah, I'm not hungry anymore." He shot Damon a menacing smirk before turning again to leave.
His response only made Damon more concerned. After all, Stefan left before him yet arrived after him. What did he really do in between? "Stefan wait…"
But Stefan continued to walk away. "Night brother," he said cutting Damon off before he could finish his sentence.
Although Stefan seemed relatively calm at the moment, Damon wasn't so sure he could trust that he hadn't just killed someone. He put his hands on his hips and let out a frustrated groan. He walked over to the bar and poured himself a drink. There was nothing he could do about it now. He had no idea where to even look for a possible victim. He'd have to wait until either Liz called him or he heard a body was found on the news. He threw back a shot of Whiskey. Besides, if he'd ripped someone apart, there would definitely have been some blood on his clothes, yet there was none. That didn't mean Stefan hadn't fed on someone. It only meant he had controlled himself enough not to rip them to shreds. But for how long? Damon's train of thought was interrupted by a faint knock on the door.
When he opened the door, Elena was standing there. Quickly he stepped outside, shutting the door behind him. Harshly, he whispered, "What the Hell are you doing here? You know it's not safe."
She whispered back, "I called you like 20 times, but you didn't answer your phone. I was worried."
He pulled his cell phone from his pocket to look at it. He frowned. "The battery must have died. I've got it under control. Stefan is upstairs. You should go home before he sees you. I'll explain it all to you later." He took her by the arm to walk her to her car, but she protested.
"No, Damon..." Her voice rose slightly with the demand. She jerked her arm away from his grip.
Damon raised his forefinger to her lips. "Shhh! He might hear you."
Elena lowered her voice again. "Damon, please. This is my fault. I need to know what's going on. I'm really worried."
He let out a sigh in defeat. He was never very good at denying her unless her life was at stake. He bit out, "Fine." He grabbed her firmly by the hand and led her towards the garage. The garage was located at the opposite end of the estate from Stefan's room. It should be safe enough to talk there without risking him hearing. He stopped when they reached the protective overhang near the garage entrance. The overhang was big enough to block them from being seen. "He didn't feed on her. I stopped him before he could get her in the car. Then I compelled her to go home and forget everything."
Elena was visibly relieved. She let out an anxious breath she hadn't even realized she'd been holding. "Good." She nodded her head.
"Yeah well, I'm not sure what happened afterwards."
"Wait you didn't come home together?"
"No, he said he was coming home and then he tore off before I could catch up to him. I got here ahead of him." The worry lines crept back on Elena's face. Damon tried to ease her fears. "I'm not sure if he fed on someone or not between the time he left the bar and the time he got home. What I do know is, if he did, he didn't rip them apart because he wasn't covered in blood."
Elena rocked back and forth on her feet, nervously biting her lip. "That doesn't mean he didn't kill someone though."
"I know. But right now there's not much we can do about it. If he did kill someone, we'll hear about it soon enough." Elena's face was still laced heavily with concern and guilt. She stared off lost in her thoughts. Damon brushed her hair away from her face gently. His fingers ran down her cheek until they rested under her chin. He lifted her chin up to meet her gaze. "Hey, you ok?"
She shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. "Yeah, yeah," she said rather unconvincingly. "I just, I just can't believe what I mess I made of everything. I should've been honest with him from the beginning."
Damon was solemn. "There's a lot of things we should've done differently. If we could go back and change it we would, but we can't." He stroked her hair again. "All we can do is go forward and try not to make things worse." He looked in her eyes lovingly.
The moonlight reflecting off of his blue eyes made them nearly glow. She'd always been entranced by his intense stare. He could seduce anyone without even trying. Without saying a word, she grabbed him and held him in a deep, passionate kiss. With her newly heightened senses, Elena found it impossible to control her desire for him. Within seconds, her hands made their way to his shirt, pulling it open to expose his chest. Her fingernails scraped teasingly along his skin. He tried futilely to pull away. "Elena we shouldn…"
She couldn't bring herself to let him go. Instead, she pulled him in closer, pressing her pelvis against him. She sucked his tongue in her mouth hard. He knew they were being reckless, but his need was too strong. Between her sucking at his tongue and grinding her hips against him, his erection grew to painful proportions. The scent of her arousal was driving him insane. He had to have her now. He walked her backwards until her back rested against the brick wall. He grabbed her by the hips and pressed her firmly against him. She could feel every inch of his length which spurred her on further. Impatiently, Elena's hands ran to his belt, frantically undoing his pants. Damon's lips made their way along her chin then down her neck. His hand came up to pull her top down, exposing one of her nipples to his waiting mouth. She let out a stifled moan when his teeth gently teased at her erect nipple. Her hands tugged his jeans down exposing his hard cock. She ran her hand along the shaft stroking it up and down. The heat of his excitement radiated from it in her hand. Damon pulled away just long enough to make short work of removing her jeans. He squatted in front of her as he yanked them down to her ankles. He kissed at her exposed stomach while helping her step out of her jeans and panties. His lips made their way down to her folds, where he slipped his tongue along her clit. She arched her back, shuddering uncontrollably at his back and forth motions. The taste of her on his tongue turned him animalistic.
He stood up and pulled both of her legs around his waist. She held onto him, wrapping her arms around his neck. Their time together was limited. They needed to make the most of it. Without wasting another second, Damon plunged deep into her warm wetness. Simultaneously, they moaned from the intense pleasure of his deep penetration. He began thrusting hard and fast into her. The brick against her back cut into her skin, heightening the pleasure with the feel of pain. They held each other's gaze intently. With each thrust, they grunted and growled, fangs bared like feral animals in heat. Their passion and desire for each other was always so intense. He plunged deep once more and then stilled. She could feel the warmth of his fluid fill her and run down her leg. They were both panting hard. He rested his forehead against hers still holding her legs around him. Damon closed his eyes as he tried to regain his composure. Elena ran her hand through his sweat damp hair. Slowly, he lowered her to the ground and kissed her gently.
When their lips parted, he gave her a look of longing. He stroked her hair and whispered. "I wish you could stay." It pained him to say it but he had to. His eyes searched hers for understanding. "But you have to go." He wanted more than anything to curl up in bed with her and sleep naked against each all night long. Unfortunately, at the moment things were too unstable with Stefan for that to happen.
Elena nodded. Softly, she said, "I know." Her hand touched his face, and he leaned into its caress. "I can't wait for the day we can be together openly." Her thumb ran along his bottom lip. Leaving him was so hard to do. She needed to taste him once more before she left. She stared at his lips for a moment before stealing one last long kiss. "Call me tomorrow?" she said but it came out as more of an unsure question than a statement.
Damon smiled weakly still not wanting her to leave. "Of course." It was hard to pull away from her but he did. He had to. He bent down to collect her panties and jeans and handed them to her. Then he pulled up his own jeans and buttoned them as she got dressed. He took her hand, giving it a squeeze. "Come on. I'll walk you to your car."
The moon was shining down bright, illuminating the entire driveway. Damon peered around the overhang to make sure Stefan was nowhere to be found. They walked as quietly as they could without touching. Elena got into her car. Before Damon closed her door, he said, "Be careful going home. Call me if you need me."
Elena looked up at him. "I will." She knew he was still reluctant to believe it, but she wanted to say it anyway. "I love you." His eyes showed her how much those words meant to him even if he didn't say it to her in return.
He smiled weakly at the bitter sweetness of it all. "Good night." Then he shut the door. He swallowed hard, choking back the pain, as he watched her drive away. He needed desperately to be with her, but he had no idea when or if that could ever really happen. It all depended on Stefan. He didn't want to hurt him anymore than he already had. He didn't want to leave Mystic Falls but that might be the only way he could be with Elena. Damon sighed. He walked backed to the house with his head hung low and his hands in his pockets. He was so lost in thought that he had no idea Stefan was staring out of his bedroom window watching.