The next week passed by in a blur. Stefan was still locked up in the basement, feeling sorry for himself and refusing to drink the animal blood Damon brought him. Elena spent most of her time sitting in front of his cell, talking, pleading, trying to get him to feed. It was getting beyond annoying. Sometimes Ric came over as well, but since Elena was always there he kept a safe distance from Damon. They talked, they drank, but that was it.
Damon was frustrated. His stupid martyr brother was once again completely ruining his life. The older Salvatore didn`t dare to leave the house for too long. Stefan had started hallucinating yesterday, obviously relieving the events of 1864, begging forgiveness from their father, calling out for Katherine. And since Elena refused to stay upstairs, where she would be safe, he had to be there as well and play babysitter for the annoying brunette.
He had tried to pass time by finding out how that stupid Gilbert device worked, but the thing seemed to be broken. Now he was trying to immerse himself in a book, but that didn`t work too well either. The vampire was actually glad when his phone rang, startling him out of his musings. He picked up, expecting Elena again. She called him all the time lately. At least when she wasn`t at the boarding house herself. But it was Ric this time. "Remember the friend I told you about, who studied criminology?" the teacher said by way of greeting. "The one who did some digging on John Gilbert?" He vaguely remembered Ric mentioning something like that.
"Yeah, that one. Well, I had him run a track on John's cell records. He´s getting regular calls from the same number. So I had my friend run a geotrack. Got the address. It's an apartment in Grove Hill. I thought we could take a look and see what we find." Sounded like a good idea. A great idea even, considering that Damon was going stir crazy here. "Perfect. Pick me up in an hour?" He could practically hear Ric`s smile through the phone. "Alright. See you in an hour."
###
Less than an hour later Elena showed up again. The dark haired vampire frowned at the bag she had slung over her shoulder. More clothes, he suspected. He´d also noticed that she had started cluttering up Stefan`s bathroom with her stuff. He was starting to wonder if she had secretly moved in and just forgot to tell him. She certainly never knocked, just barged right in like she owned the place. "How's Stefan?" Damon rolled his eyes. "Extra broody."
"Has he eaten anything?" Always the same questions these days. "Nope, he still refuses." Elena looked worried. She always looked worried lately, the vampire noticed. It was a look that didn`t suit her. "But he has to eat!" she protested. Like it was Damon`s fault. He was sure Stefan would eat sooner or later. He wouldn`t starve himself. Really, his brother couldn`t be that stupid. Elena looked unconvinced when he told her that, but Damon really wasn`t in the mood for another discussion. They had been discussing this for two days now. He really hoped Stefan would snap out of his little depression soon.
"Look, are you gonna be okay here if I have to run out? Ric and I have to go check something out. I`ll be back in a few hours." the vampire promised. "I still can`t believe you two are friends again." Elena mumbled. Damon rolled his eyes. "Yeah, you only said that like a dozen times." It was starting to get old. They really needed to find some new topics.
Thankfully the ringing of the bell interrupted their discussion. Damon grabbed his jacket and headed for the door. "Stay up here. You shouldn't be down there by yourself." he ordered, already knowing she wouldn`t listen. She never did. "I`ll be fine." she insisted. "I have no desire to explain to your aunt why Stefan ate you, while I wasn`t there. You know, everyone would blame me." Elena stubbornly crossed her arms. "Stefan would never hurt me." She spoke with total conviction. Damon was almost envious of the faith she put in his brother. "You know... You're very trusting of him, given the circumstances."
"So are you. Otherwise, you wouldn't be leaving." the girl shot back. "Maybe I`m leaving in the hope that he does eat you. You`re a complete nuisance." She only laughed, so Damon turned and finally opened the door. Ric had been waiting patiently. "Ready to go?" he asked, casting a glance at Elena. "Yeah, let´s go." the vampire agreed. They got into the teacher´s car and Ric let him know that the apartment had been paid 3 months in advance. He didn`t inquire about Stefan and Damon was grateful for that.
###
They reached their destination quickly, parking in front of the house. Ric retrieved two stakes from the trunk and hid them in his jacket, handing one to Damon as well. When the vampire started towards the building, he stopped him. "Hey, could we not kill anyone tonight, please?" Damon arched an eyebrow. "You mean you just brought me along for my company?" Ric shook his head with a wry chuckle. "You wish."
They opened the door and entered quietly. Damon noticed that there seemed to be no permanent resident, since he could get inside without invitation. They snuck further into the apartment, looking around but seeing no-one. The fridge however was stocked with blood bags. Never a good sign. Suddenly a man appeared out of nowhere and attacked Alaric. Damon pulled him off, surprised that he recognized the guy. "Hey, I know you. Your name is Henry. You were in the tomb."
The vampire nodded eagerly. He recognized Damon as well and turned out to be very talkative. They questioned him about John, and he told them that he`d met Mr. Gilbert right after getting out of the tomb and that John had been helping him out, had showed him how everything worked. He claimed that in turn he kept an eye on the other tomb vampires for John, who were still pissed. "I'm cool, but those tomb boys.. they want revenge." he let them know.
"What does John want with them?" Alaric asked, completely puzzled. "He's just keeping an eye on them, you know? Trying to make sure they stay out of trouble." Henry claimed, just as his phone rang. It was John. What a coincidence. Damon asked for the phone and Henry, completely trusting, handed it over. He only got suspicious when Damon didn`t answer the phone. By then it was too late. Henry tried to attack Ric again, but Damon grabbed the other vampire and Ric staked him, quickly and efficiently. Grinning at the teacher, Damon reminded: "Let's not kill anyone tonight. - Your words, not mine. Just pointing that out." Ric simply rolled his eyes and continued searching the apartment.
They found nothing useful anymore. The apartment seemed pretty deserted. Damon took the blood bags from the fridge, explaining to Ric that it would be a shame to waste those. The teacher accepted with a shrug and they left. "So John is keeping an eye on the tomb vampires. Helping them, even. What does that mean?" Ric mused on the drive back. "I have no idea. But it`s bad news if you ask me." Damon replied. It was no secret that John Gilbert hated vampires. He wanted them dead. Why the hell should he help them?
"I talked to Jenna yesterday." the teacher continued and Damon felt a stab of jealousy. "She told me that John asked her to arrange a meeting with Anna`s mother. She wants to buy a building from the Gilberts, Grayson Gilbert`s former office, to be exact, and John`s being a dick about it." That didn`t bode well at all. "When is this meeting?" the vampire asked. "I think it was earlier today." Ric informed him, hesitating a little before asking: "John knows she`s a vampire, doesn't he?"
Damon nodded. "He also knows that she stole the device from his ancestor. Which is probably the real reason he wants to meet her." he mused. "You think she`ll tell him that she gave it to you?" The teacher sounded worried. "I`m pretty sure she`s going to tell him. But don`t worry. The device is well hidden." Damon assured. "I`m more worried about you than that stupid device. He already tried to kill you once."
"He can`t kill me if he wants to find the device. He knows that." the vampire pointed out, looking over at Ric. "But it`s nice to know you worry about me." Even if his tone was light, joking, he meant it. It was nice to know. He was still unsure of where they stood. Ric had no problem meeting him for drinks at the Grill or doing other things friends did in public. But he was always careful to keep a certain distance. Always made sure no-one would catch a glimpse at the other side of their friendship.
So far Damon accepted it. He didn`t understand the secrecy, but if it made Ric happy he was willing to play along for now. The only one who knew about them was Jenna and Damon still wondered about that dynamic, had no idea if it was just friendship between her and Alaric, or if there was more. And he also had no idea how to ask Ric about it, without sounding like a jealous wife.
Ric cast a sideways glance at Damon. "Of course I worry. You`re my friend." Not a trace of sarcasm there. Only complete honesty. The vampire was rendered speechless for a moment. The declaration made his heart beat a little faster. And while it didn`t really answer his questions, it was at least a start.
###
When they reached the boarding house, Elena was still there, writing in her diary and brooding. She reminded Damon of his brother. "Has Stefan eaten yet?" he asked by way of greeting. She regarded him with raised eyebrows. "I thought you didn't care." The vampire only shrugged. "I think he's getting there. But he's got a lot of guilt that he has to deal with. And it doesn't help that you've spent the last 145 years punishing him for Katherine getting caught." Great, she blamed it all on him. How typical. Everyone always blamed him. Damon wondered how much Stefan had told her.
"Did he tell you the whole story?" he asked. "He told me how you tried to save Katherine. That you both were shot, trying to free her. He told me how he turned." she glanced at Alaric, obviously not wanting to relay every detail while the teacher was listening. So Stefan had told her that he`d killed their father. Interesting. "He said there was more." she finished with a shrug. "Yeah. That's an understatement." Damon grumbled. He caught Ric`s worried gaze, but chose to ignore it.
Elena practically begged him to tell her the rest of the story. Well, since she insisted. "I had decided to die. I thought Katherine was dead and without her…" he paused, wondering once again how he could`ve been so stupid. He would`ve done anything for that bitch and she had never really loved him. "When Stefan returned from the… talk.. with our father, he brought a servant girl with him. She was bleeding. He kept going on about how great he was feeling. How alive. He practically forced me to feed on her. To complete the transition. In the end I did." He shrugged, aiming for nonchalant and missing by miles. "I suppose I should thank him. It's been one hell of a ride."
Elena stared at him for a second, then she turned away and walked down to the basement again, only to return a moment later. "He`s gone. And I found this in the cell." she held up Stefan`s daylight ring with trembling fingers. "He said he wanted to die. That's why he won't feed. And now..." she broke off, looked to Damon for guidance. None to be found there. "His choice. If he's stupid enough to make it, so be it." Stefan wouldn`t listen to him anyways. He couldn`t help his brother. Elena shook her head, tears forming in her eyes. "Don't do that. Don't pretend like you don't care. I know you`re not that heartless." She sobbed, running out without waiting for his reply.
Damon watched her go, swallowing hard. If anyone could save Stefan now, it was her. That much he knew. And he also knew she wouldn`t give up. He jumped when suddenly strong arms wrapped around him from behind and he was pulled against a broad chest. "Stefan will be okay. She`ll get him back. Nobody says no to Elena Gilbert. That much I learned." Alaric murmured close to his ear. Damon shivered. "I know." They stood like that for a moment, until the teacher pulled away and took a step back again. "Want me to keep you company while you wait?" Damon only nodded.
They moved to the library, where they sat in silence, until Elena and Stefan finally walked in, hand in hand. The older Salvatore smirked, tried to hide the relief he felt. "Little boy lost." he drawled. Elena told them she would be waiting upstairs. She kissed Damon on the cheek as she passed him, ignoring his scowl. Ric stood up as well. "I should head home. See you tomorrow." He squeezed Damon`s shoulder, patted Stefan on the back and left.
Once they were alone, Stefan thanked his brother. Damon brushed it off. "No, Stefan, thank you. You're back on Bambi blood and I'm the big badass brother again. All is right in the world." But for once his brother didn`t seem to fall for that act. It made Damon wonder what Elena had said to him. "I mean it. Thank you. For... helping her take care of me." He said it with so much sincerity that Damon had trouble mustering a snarky reply. "Yeah well, don`t let it get to your head. I still hate you." he finally muttered. Stefan actually smiled. "Good night, Damon."
The older Salvatore watched him head upstairs. Yes, he was glad his brother was alive. And he was also glad that Stefan was back to normal again. Even if normal meant boring and broody in Stefan terms. It was at least one problem less he had to take care of. Maybe now he could concentrate on getting rid of John Gilbert. And once that was accomplished he would convince Ric to take a few days off and spend them in bed with him. Maybe even a whole week. Satisfied with that plan he drained his glass and went to bed as well.