"Is your brother always like that?" Samantha asked Stefan after they'd ejected Damon from the room. "Poking his nose in where it doesn't belong?"

"Oh, yes, he's always been that way," Stefan nodded. "There was a time when we weren't speaking and I kind of miss it."

Suddenly his phone rang. He groaned and rolled his eyes, but answered it anyway. "Yes? Who is this?"

"It's Sam," Sam told him. His nephew seemed very agitated. "You and Dad need to get down here quick. I know Grandma rallied the other day, but she took a turn for the worse all of a sudden."

"Shit," Stefan whispered and then said, "All right, Sam. I'll convince your dad to come with me. We'll be there soon. Tell Mother that."

"All right," Sam said. He sounded very relieved. "I think she'll be glad to hear it."

It took a while, but eventually, Stefan managed to coax Damon into taking a shower and getting in some clothes to go say goodbye to their mother.

"Where are you two going?" Samantha asked as they made their way toward the door.

"Our mother is dying and we need to go say our farewells," Stefan told her. "But don't worry. We'll be back after."

"Well, all right," Samantha nodded. "I'll be here. And if you stop off for a drink after, let me know so I won't be waiting around doing nothing forever."

They drove back to Amelia and Andrew's at lightning speed, and when they made their way to their mother's room they found Amelia, Andrew, Selina, and Thomas already there along with Sam.

"I don't know if I can handle this," Damon said after looking at his mother's ashen face. "I just…I think I'll go wait in the car."

"No," Stefan grabbed his brother. "You have to make it through! How do you think Mother would feel if she left this earth without saying goodbye to you, Damon?"

"Damon?" Charlotte asked weakly, turning her head slowly toward the door. "Damon, Stefan, are you here?"

"Yes," Stefan said, running toward the bed as Sam moved aside to give his uncle space to get close. "We're here. How are you?"

"I've been better," she said and suddenly gasped for air before finally getting a breath and being able to speak. "I wish…I wish I could stay. There wasn't enough time. I didn't…I don't know why…why did I have to die so soon the first time, and why did I have to die so soon now?"

"Maybe…maybe it was the universe's way of saving you," Selina got out with tears in her eyes as she squeezed Charlotte's other hand. "You married a man who wasn't as good to you as you deserved. Think about how much misery you were saved by dying early." She lapsed into sobs and said, "Damn it, this was so much easier when I was five and had no idea what the fuck was going on!" She ran to the door and Sam ran after her and put his arms around her. Then, over her shoulder, he saw a light appear in the corner of the room. A bright, white light that coalesced into the shape of a young man who didn't look much different from himself.

"Mom," he whispered, "It's…it's Joshua. I think he's come to take Grandma home."

Joshua Salvatore was Selina and Damon's elder son, and thus, Sam's older brother, with the same brown hair and blue eyes that the rest of his family shared. He'd been born while Selina was human, and died in 1939 so Sam had never met him in person, but he always seemed to show up when people in the family needed him most. Like Charlotte did now. He watched his brother glide toward the bed and then they all heard him say, "It's time for you to come with me now, Grandmother."

"All right," she said and let him take her hand. "I'll come. I have no other choice." Then she looked at Thomas and said, "I love you, don't ever forget me," before she closed her eyes, her body went still, and then both her spirt and Joshua's went through the bedroom wall, probably never to be seen again. Or at least not for a while, anyway.

When it was all over, everyone took deep breaths and sat in silence, then Sam came over to hug his father. "Are you gonna be okay?" He asked Damon.

"Yeah," Damon nodded. "I think I'll be okay once I go back to the boarding house and have a stiff drink. Or two. Or three."

"I agree with that," Thomas said and stood up as Selina offered to drive him home, an offer he declined. "That sounds completely all right with me. And then tomorrow, we can begin to put the funeral arrangements into action."

"We won't do anything," Damon told him. "Just Stefan and I will do it, since we're Mother's sons."

"All right, whatever," Thomas told them, not wanting to start a fight. "But you'll tell me when the funeral is, won't you?"

"Of course," Selina nodded and hugged him. "And if they won't, then I will."

When they got home, Damon decided to lock himself alone in his room with a bottle of bourbon and Stefan decided to lock himself in his room with Samantha. Fortunately, he didn't even have to go looking for her. He saw that she was right where he wanted her just as he closed the bedroom door behind him: On his bed, in her underwear, and holding a big bottle of bourbon in her lap.

"Hey," she said as she knocked some down and then held the bottle out to him. "You look like hell. Do you need to self-medicate?"

"Nah," Stefan shook his head. "Well, not in big amounts, anyway. You drink that stuff, or did you bring it just for me?"

"Nope, I brought it for both of us," she said and zapped up two glasses. "Would you rather not drink it from the bottle?"

Stefan smiled and climbed onto the bed with her. "Get rid of the glasses and I'll show you how I want to drink it," he said.

She did and then he pushed her back against the mattress, letting her zap off his clothes after he removed her bra and slowly slid her panties down her thighs, kissing every bit of hot bare skin that moving them down revealed.

"Oh, god," Samantha breathed. "Oh, god!"

Then Stefan grabbed the bourbon bottle (thankful there was more than one in the house since Damon didn't like to share at all) and poured some in Samantha's belly button and on her stomach. It was cold so she screamed at first, but then laughed at the feeling of his tongue and lips on her skin as he slurped the bourbon out of her belly button and slowly licked it off her stomach.

When it was all gone, he just grinned at her.

"What?" She asked. "Are you stopping there?"

"No," he said, pushing his hands up her torso, then stopping to cup her breasts and give them a squeeze. "I was just looking at how beautiful you are."

"Oh, stop," Samantha scoffed. "I know you're just pedaling a lot of bullshit, aren't you?"

"Well, what would you rather have me say that wouldn't spoil the mood?" Stefan asked.

"I don't need words," Samantha told him. "I need action and if you're just gonna sit there and talk while I'm lying her naked, I'm taking charge of this whole thing."

"No," Stefan shook his head. "There's no need for that." He took her in his arms and kissed her deep and long. "See?" He said with a smile when they finally separated and Samantha's eyes were wide with shock. "See what you'd be missing out on if you took charge?"

"Don't talk about it," Samantha remonstrated and nibbled on his ear. "Just do it. Fuck me and don't hold back." She then grinned wickedly. "You can even bite me a little. I don't mind. I liked it last time." She then grabbed Stefan's face in her hands and kissed him. Probably because of the surprise from her taking over, they tussled a bit before she finally pulled back a little and let him take charge.

Then his hands were in her hair and he was kissing her more slowly, nibbling a little on her lips before moving onto her neck, holding her head with one hand and supporting her back with the other so that she wouldn't slip or flop around when he bit her.

"You're actually gonna do it, aren't you?" She chuckled. "You're gonna take my blood."

"Well, I haven't fed today, so if you're offering, I won't refuse you," Stefan told her. He then bit down and relished her scream, but the screaming stopped once he began licking the excess blood off her neck before pushing into her a few times.

"Good?" She asked warily when he was finally through.

"Yes," he said and bit his wrist, letting the blood dribble into her mouth. "You're very tasty." He parted her legs then and licked her before sitting up and smiling as she panted and felt herself break out in sweat. "And not just your blood, either."

"Good," she said, trying to maintain a cool tone. "I'm glad you're satisfied."

"Yes," Stefan nodded, looming over her with a grin. "For now, anyway."

"I think you've had enough," the bartender told Thomas as he plunked down the empty glass that had held his seventh drink. "I think you should leave now."

"All right," Thomas muttered. "Fuck you." He then left without paying and then found Davina standing outside the bar waiting for him. She was clearly still dealing with what they'd done earlier, and when she saw him, she grabbed him.

"Are you all right?" She asked. "What's the matter? Talk to me, please! You're not acting like yourself and I want to know why so I can help!" She shook him and then he burst out laughing, allowing her to get a whiff of his breath. "Oh, my god," she said. "You've been drinking! Just how much have you had?"

"I don't know," Thomas shook his head, his gaze unfocused as he made a poor attempt to stop a burp. "A lot." He paused, grabbing her hands and taking her away from the open street. "We can't talk here," he told her in a whisper. "I have to take you some place private."

"But where?" Davina pleaded, trying her best to keep up the pace as he walked faster, pulling her along behind him.

"Just don't talk and you'll find out," Thomas said, pausing to glare at her. "Do you understand that?"

"Okay," Davina nodded and tried to keep calm. As worked up as he was, it probably was not a good idea to agitate him further.

Finally, he stopped outside a dingy pay-by-hour hotel where only half the letters on the sign were lit in red neon letters. "Let's go in here," he said.

Davina looked at the sign, which, if all the letters were alight, would have read "Neptune's Bungalow Motel," groaned, and let him bring her in. It might have been sleazy, but at least there was a chance he would sleep off what he'd drunk if she got him into a bed.

"You two want a room?" asked the man at the counter after they'd woken him up.

"Yeah," Thomas said, staring at him. He was wiry with greased back black hair and beady dark eyes. "What else do you think we would come in here for?"

"Just give us the keys, please," Davina told the man. "My friend here has had a long day and he needs to rest."

"'Friend'?" Thomas chuckled. "Oh, sweetheart, I'm much more than a friend, I-"

"We're going!" Davina said, taking the key and pushing Thomas ahead of her down the hallway in search of their room.

It didn't take long to find it, and to Davina's surprise, even though the room was small and a bit dirty, it still wasn't as bad as she'd thought it would be. She sat down on the mattress to check the springs and when she'd confirmed that the bed wouldn't collapse on them, she then stood up and said to Thomas, "All right. Now we have to get you out of those clothes. Unless you want to sleep dressed." Then she paused. "But first…first you wanna tell me what made you drink so much?"

"No, thank you," Thomas shook his head, picking at a loose threat in the paisley comforter. "I wouldn't…I wouldn't want to bore you."

"Just give me a try," she urged and put her arm around him. "Please."

"All right," Thomas nodded. "Someone I loved very much has just passed away. And I'm having a really hard time dealing with it."

"Awww!" Davina cried and kissed his cheek. "I'm sorry. Anything I can to do help just tell me."

"Well," Thomas smiled. "If that offer to undress me for bed still stands, I'd be more than willing to take you up on it. And don't do it with your magic, either. Do it by hand."

"I wasn't gonna do it any other way," Davina replied.

She then took him in her arms and kissed his lips and neck before peeling off his skin tight navy blue shirt. "Wow," she breathed as she looked him over and then slowly ran her hands down his abs. "You just…I…wow."

Taking in quick, shallow breaths, she got down on her knees and unzipped his jeans, watching them fall to his ankles and waiting for him to kick them aside.

"Do you…" she whispered against his ear, "do you sleep naked or can we just leave you like this?"

"I was planning for you to sleep naked," Thomas replied. "It's no fun if I'm not that way either."

Davina started to avert her eyes as he pushed his boxers down. But after a few seconds, she couldn't help herself and she looked.

He came closer and pulled her against himself, breathing in the scent of her hair and yanking off her red t-shirt before running his hands down her arms and cupping her breasts before kissing her long and slow, and biting her bottom lip.

"You're supposed to be resting now," she remonstrated as he brought her to bed.

"I can do that later," he told her as he undressed her most of the way and grinned while she lay nearly naked and wide-eyed on the mattress beneath him. "With what we're gonna do, we'll be plenty tired afterward."

"Really?" Davina grinned. "Are you sure?"

"Yes," Thomas nodded as he pulled her up to sit and she threw her arms around his neck, letting him nibble on her and kiss her deeply. "I'm very certain about things like that."

Davina gave him a small smile then and said, "Here's hoping then that while we're here, we both forget our troubles."

But just as he lowered her onto the mattress, his stomach twisted, he ran to the bathroom to throw up. After that, she tucked him into bed and he soon fell asleep, snoring softly. "It's gonna be all right," she told him, playing with his hair as she climbed into bed beside him. "We'll forget all our troubles someday: Charlotte, Malachai, everything. It'll all be better someday."

The End

Next up: Klaus and Elijah's stories merge as the gang returns from Egypt with the Phoenix's mummy and that means trouble for the entire Original Family