Disclaimer: I own nothing.
AN: Sorry guys. I have the immune system of a newborn, always sick. That and writers block. Of course they always decide to bless me with their presence at the same time.
It hurt.
Understatement.
It hurt like hell.
I was aware of someone trying to pull me off of my knees but I didn't have the energy, nor the want to move from the ground.
"Fine. I'll just carry you home then." The voice says. I feel myself lifted off the ground and the world suddenly starts flying by. We arrive at the boarding house in less than a minute. I'm sat on a very uncomfortable couch. My eyes stay open but see nothing other than his face.
"Damon?" Another, more feminine, voice asks.
"Damon darling?" She asks, sitting beside me, holding my hands in her's.
He's right in front of me. Wearing a weak smile but no recognition in his eyes. Only this strange mind in my brothers body. I reach for him but come up with empty air. He's gone.
"Stefan" I mutter.
"What about Stefan?" The women asks, brushing the hair off my forehead.
"Stefan was there." I whisper, staring into the fireplace.
"What do you mean?" She asks.
"The graveyard. He was there." I whisper again, getting annoyed with her lack of understanding.
"Of course he was. We buried him there remember?" She says.
"Alive." I mumble. Then everything comes back to me. I jump up, walking towards the door.
"Damon wait." She yells, following behind me.
"He's alive 'Lena. I saw him." I say, grabbing my leather jacket and shrugging it on.
"What are you talking about Damon?" She asks, grabbing my arm. I jerk around to face her, glaring and pulling her hand off of me.
"I. Saw. Stefan." I pronounce the words carefully, anxious to go find my brother.
She goes rigid, eyes wide. I turn around and walk out the front door, leaving her with her thoughts.
After hours and hours of searching I finally admit I have a very slim chance of finding him. He could be anywhere.
I slowly make my way back inside the boarding house, walking straight to the liquor cabinet.
Thank god one thing has remained constant.
"Good evening, Mr. Salvatore."
I turn around to see Dante sit down on the couch. His eyes follow my every move as usual. I sigh pouring a glass of scotch.
"Where have you been all day?" He asks.
"Out." I answer simply.
"Miss Elena has been in your room since I returned earlier. Is she alright?" He asks.
Oh shit, Elena. Do I trust him enough to risk him overhearing?
"Dante can you do me a favor?" I ask, walking over to him.
"Of course." He answers.
"Can you run to the grocery store? Elena made a list, it should be on the fridge." I say.
"Sure. Is it alright if I ask Alexander and Adrianna to come?" He asks.
"That would be perfect." I answer, smirking. He nods and disappears upstairs. A minute later and he's back with Alex and Adrianna.
"Well see ya" Alex says and the three disappear out the door. I walk upstairs and stop in front of our bedroom. Should I knock? No stupid, it's your room too.
"Elena?" I ask, hesitantly opening the door and peaking inside. Elena sits in a chair in the corner of the room, book in her lap, tears on her cheeks.
"Are you alright?" I ask, walking over to her.
"He's alive."
"Yes. I looked..."
"He's alive and he never came home." She finishes. Her eyes meet mine and they're swimming with more tears, ready to fall.
"He wasn't really himself." I say, sitting down on the floor in front of her.
"What do you mean?" She asks, wiping her eyes.
"It was like he didn't know me at all, and he kept insisting that his name was Ryan." I tell her, confusing myself even more in the process.
"Ryan? But he was at Stefan's grave right?" She asks.
"Yes, that's how I know it was Stefan. No Stefan look alike would magically end up there." I say.
"What about a doppelganger?"
"Already thought of that, love. The doppelganger was only created for the curse and limited to Petrova blood." I tell her with a weak smile.
"Amnesia?"
"We don't get amnesia. The only time we have something similar is with a werewolf bite, and Stefan would have been dead a loooong time ago if that were the case."
"Compulsion." She mumbles.
"Huh?" I ask.
"An original can compel another vampire remember? You said Stefan looked the same so he had to have been a vampire again. What if someone erased his memory? He would still feel like Stefan, which would lead him to Mystic Falls, ergo his grave." Elena explains.
"Huh. That's the best explanation I can think of." I tell her.
"I thought of it. Not you." She says, shaking her head.
"Well I helped."
"So what are we gonna do? We have to find him at least." She says.
"Ugh. I was hoping to prevent this but...it looks like were gonna need to tell Dante."