Since I have some free time on my hands lately here's another chapter. Thanks so much for the nice reviews and for the follows. They mean a lot to me. I hope you enjoy reading the story as much as I enjoy writing it.

I'm sorry that Elena isn't very likable at the moment. I still have some hopes that maybe you will be able to feel some sympathy for her? I've included a moment between Stefan and his previous sweetheart Anna in this chapter too that maybe will give you some clarity on certain stuff.

Don't forget to give me your thoughts on it. ((:

Damon's POV

I knocked on the door of our house while at the same time trying to balance and not let Stefan keep his attempts to stand on his own cause I could feel how unstable he was.

"Damon .." he whispered

"It's ok ,hold on a little longer."

I knew it would take Bonnie some time to open the door, because she was probably holding James and she would need to put him down before hurrying towards us. I was sure she was already worried because we took too much time at the doctor and when she finally opened and saw us I wasn't wrong.

"What's going on?" she asked while pulling back so I can walk in with my hand over Stefan's shoulder.

"Nothing. The doctor just gave him some strong painkillers and I need to put him down."

"Damon.." he said again with his sleepy voice.

Bonnie came on his other side and put her own hand on his other shoulder.

"Shh, Stefan ,it's ok. Come on, let's get you to bed, huh?" she saw his seduced by the drugs gaze and I caught her eyes getting watery. She was always so sensitive when it came to me or my brother. Our glances finally met and for a moment we stood there speaking only with our eyes. Then we headed over to his room, walking as slowly as we could. She tossed aside his shabby blanket and we laid him down. I took down his shoes and socks and noticed how cold his feet were.

"Bonnie, bring another blanket, ok?" she nodded and I sat on edge of the bed only to realized that he hasn't closed his eyes yet. Moreover, he was starting at something and it took me about a minute or two to understand what it was-the picture of him and Anna.

"Stefan, go to sleep. Now!" I scolded him, trying to get him out of his thoughts. I guess he was really seduced by the medications.

"You took this picture." he said, his voice barely audible. "You took it."

"I did?" I really couldn't recall this day. It looked like the summer vacation. But I think it was a little before she passed away.

"Yeah.." he let a heavy sigh out "She is beautiful here, isn't she?"

"She is indeed." I smiled and ruffled his hair, desperately trying to hide my own tears. "Now go to sleep, cause you look like crap."

"I wish I could see her.. " he whispered before finally closing his eyes and I stood slowly only to face Bonnie with the blanket in her hands. Something told me she was present to our conversation because of the look on her face. She didn't move an inch. I took the blanket from her and I tucked him with it. Then I took her hand in mine and lead her out, while at the same time trying to close the door as silently as I could.

We both knew we couldn't talk right now. Words would drew us to the edge of our emotions and we wouldn't be able to bring it back so I leaned down and kissed her-first slowly, trying to show her how much I needed her right now. She followed my lead and before I knew it she was the one leading me to our room. I loved her, I needed her. I wanted to forget how tired I am from work. I wanted to delete from my mind the million times I've saw my brother hurt. I wanted to forget about the cruel world I was living in and all I craved to do was love her.

It was the only thing I knew how to do anyway.

Bonnie' s POV

Damon and I were lying naked in our bed, only a light blanket thrown on us. Being pressed so closed next to him and listening to the beating of his heart has always made me feel safe. I don't know why but right in this moment I felt like in the beginning of our relationship-so innocent and carefree. For a minute or two the world seemed more simple. I have forgotten all my worries and I could swear that his face seemed somehow younger and not so tired. Something inside me urged me to intervene my hand with his. I loved doing that. His hand was always so warm but also so rough from the work. They had this different darker color, maybe because of the grease and the engine oil he touched so often. I loved everything about him. His dark, messy hair, just like James' s and his deep blue eyes who desperately tried to hide the grief he felt-for losing his parents, for Stefan, for us struggling with money. In only an year his posture has become completely different. He wasn't the adventurous boy who didn't have a care in this world. He wasn't the irresponsible drinker who can party all night and never even come home. Now he walked a little more bent, like he was carrying some weight on his shoulders. And his face seemed so much more tired. I could only see it light up when he was holding James, when he kissed me or when Stefan seemed to not be in pain.

I picked up his hand and kissed his palm gently.

"Damon .."

"Ugh..I don't want to get up." I smiled, more to myself as I realized how much him and Stefan looked alike when they were sleepy.

"You have to, you'll be late for work" he was going to be a night shift for the whole week and it was always far more self-destructive that usually.

"No…"

"Come on. I'll make you something to eat." his eyes suddenly popped up and he finally decided that eating was worth waking up. My husband leaned down and kissed me on the cheek while I hurried up to get out of bed first, put some clothes on and go to the kitchen.

When he came in, dressed up in his work clothes I have already set up the table.

"Oh God, it always smells so good!"

I laughed. He always made me unnecessary compliments. I wasn't that much of a cook anyway.

"So…" I started once I've put his plate down and he was already trying to swallow his first big bite. "What did the doctor say?"

He sighted and leaned back on his chair. His whole posture changed as well as the look on his face. There wasn't a sign of happiness no more on it.

"He said he should take it more easy. His knee has swallowed, that's why he gave him all those painkillers."

"But he doesn't want a surgery right?" Stefan has been through two already and that was when I excluded the once they made him in the day of the incident.

Damon shook his head and took another bite.

"No, he says there is no point in a surgery right now. But he prescribed him some new medications and we went to buy them" I felt that this wasn't the ending of the sentence.

"And?"

"He gave all his cigarette money and I added sixty bucks from me so…they weren't exactly very cheap."

"Well that doesn't matter, Damon. As long as it helps him we shouldn't give a damn about how much it costs. I hate to see him sad and in pain."

"I told him that already. But you know my brother. He will feel bad."

"We will convince him otherwise." I tried to take his empty plate but he was too fast and caught my hand, drew me closer to him and kissed me. "You know..I really appreciate everything you do here. Without you we are both lost."

"Well you are my boys and I'll take care of you until the day I die."

"I love you, Bonnie. With all my heart, with all my human being." I honestly didn't expect him to say this right now. But he was always full of surprises. Every time I felt confused, or lost, or like I've missed him for an year, when in reality it was only a few hours, he said such things and turned me upside down "And I wish I could make you happy."

Why would he even think he's not making me happy?

"Damon.." I leaned even closer and whispered to his ear "I am the luckiest girl alive to have a man like you. Don't ever say that you don't make me happy cause every time I see you come home safe and sound I want to hug you and forget about everything. My love for you consumes me."

"Well so does mine." I finally sat in his lap and he hugged me tight "You are the only thing that keeps me sane, I swear."

We stayed like this for a few minutes. The silence drew us closer, it's like we became one whole thing. It felt like infinity and not just like a regular, tiring, Friday evening in a house full of sadness and daily routine worries.

"It will be ok, you know?" I whispered again, afraid of saying the words out loud for I might jinx their meaning.

"I hope so." he kissed me gently on the cheek.-I have to go or I'll be late. Keep an eye on Stefan tonight.

"I will. You take care. Don't tire yourself too much."

"See you in the morning." he added as he was putting his jacket on and opening the door. "Kiss the kid from me when he wakes up. I nodded and stayed until he disappeared from my side."

There were not enough words in the world to express how much I didn't want to let him go.

Stefan's POV

I sneaked in as silently as I could from the back door of her little house only to notice her sitting on the kitchen table with her back turned to me. She was probably reading that anatomy student's book for her exams and she was deep into it.

I slowly approached her and put only my left palm on her eyes since I had an old piece of cloth wrapped around the other.

"Guess who!" she was first startled but once she heard my voice her shoulders relaxed, she hurried to turn around only to threw herself in my arms.

"Stefan!" I gave her a small kiss on the cheek but that wasn't enough for her and I felt her warm lips pressed on mine.

"Hey!" I said once we finished our make-up session but never gave her the chance to leave my embrace. "How are you?"

"Wrapped in human anatomy. You finished work early?"

"Something like that." I felt her trying to intervene her fingers with mine but the improvised bandage I've but on my right hand prevented her from completing her task.

-What happened?-a worried look appeared on her face.-Did you cut yourself again?

"I'm fine, Annie, relax." I answered while trying to lean and kiss her again, but she put her fingers on my lips.

"No, let me see it." Anna raised my hand and unwrapped the dirty piece of cloth I've put on.

"Why are you always so stubborn?"

"Why am I stubborn? Look at this-it's a dirty open wound! How can you leave it like that! You can get an infection."

"Oh, ok doctor. Thanks for telling me!" I laughed out loud trying to make her let the steam off a bit. This wasn't about my hand at all and I knew we would get to the discuss the subject no matter how we both tried to delay the process. But right now she took my hand to the sink and washed all the blood and the dirt away. Then she started sterilizing, slowly, as not to cause me pain.

"So..do you know something new?' she asked afraid to look me in the face. Afraid of hearing my answer already.

"No..I'm sorry. I went out with Dylan last night to look for him but we couldn't find him." Dylan was my best friend there in Chicago. My best and only friend actually. We were really faithful to one another. Whenever he needed something I was there for him and vice versa. He's seen me in my worse and I've pulled him out of moments and holes that even Anna-the love of my life-had a vague idea about. "I wish he could just come home to you"

"If he does he'll only ask you for money and we both know what he would spend them on" she shook her head in despair. Like she was trying to get the ugly memories disappear.

"I'll find your brother and I'll help him, I promise." I caught her hands and made her stop dealing with me. It was about her now.

"I love you, Stefan." I hugged her tight and she cuddled in my embrace like a little kid, trying to hide from reality.

"I love you too, Annie. And I'll love you beyond the "until" people use for setting borders for their affections. My love for you has no boundary, no finish line ,no fence or wall or door. I am in love with you-now and now is enough of an infinity for me."

She raised her head from my chest-I could see the tears in her eyes.

"Stefan! Stefan wake up! Please!" I heard Bonnie' s desperate voice and her small weak hands shaking my shoulders.

Unwillingly I opened my eyes. It took me a minute to realize that what I've just dreamed was a memory I shared with Anna at the end of our junior year. It wasn't reality though.

"Bonnie.." my voice was hoarse and silent. It got like this when I started working at the wood factory in Chicago. Damon said it was probably because of the dust in there.

"Hey!" she smiled and tried to look relaxed "You were tossing in your bed and I had to wake you up."

"It's ok." I still felt a bit dizzy from the drugs so when I tried to raise up and sit still I almost failed the task.

"Don't get up. Damon said you should get as much rest as you can."

I shook my head, I didn't want to sleep again. I would probably dream of her again and I couldn't let that happen-it hurts too damn much. I tossed my blanket aside and slowly stood up. She gave me her hand and I felt how warm it was. I was barefooted but I didn't feel cold since the autumn outside was gifting us with warm days.

"What's the time?"

"Around nine in the evening" ah, so my brother has left for work already. I let go of her hand and to show her that I'm ok with walking by myself I lead us out of the room. I could hear James playing with his rattles in the kitchen and once we got in there he gave me his big baby goofy smile and stretched his hands towards me.

"No, no, no. You don't get to pick him I have to feed him, Stefan."

"But" I gave her my sad puppy face though she remained relentless. James himself let out something like a small baby whine, understanding where things were going to.

"Uh-uh, James! You'll eat now!" she shook her finger against his face and he made an even sadder face. "Your uncle sits here, next to you and you both eat, you understand?" I was absolutely sure that an almost seven month old kid could never get to understand her words and I'm convinced she realized that but it was sweet to watch them like this. My mother also argued with Damon when we were little to stop playing with me on the table but he somehow always managed to find a way and we would kick each other when no one was looking.

I humbly sat on the chair next to James and tried not to drive his attention to me but he would always turn his head towards mine and blab his baby sounds in the pauses in which she wasn't giving him a spoon full of some kind of pap.

"Steefan! What did I tell you?" she protested as the kid once again shook his head against the spoon and smiled with his mouth full at me.

"Well what have I done now? I'm just simply staying here." I said with my most innocent voice.

"Here-take this so I can warm up your meal too." she handed me over the spoon and I let a small sight out.

"Come on, James-a true Salvatore eats his dinner and even asks for more." I admit that I wasn't good at feeding him but after fifteen minutes or so we finally got to finish his small plate after many many persuasions from my side and many many grumpy faces from him. Once he saw his bow empty he slapped with his palm, apparently from genuine joy, in it and it jumped and fell down on the floor. My nephew was at this stage of his growth where he would slap and toss everything just to make a noise and feel happy about it.

Bonnie was however mad, cause she has just cleaned, but she wiped his mouth, scolded him a little and went to the sink. Confused, James, turned towards me once again and stretched his hands. His eyes were filled with tiredness, I could see he was about to fell asleep soon but he was trying hard to fight it. I picked him up and hugged him tightly. Then he started playing with the pocket of my shirt and the buttons on it. His grip was surprisingly tight by now.

"You spoil him too much."

"My brother spoils him more!" I tried to defend myself "And his middle name is after all Stefan. I do not only get to spoil him but to brag around about it!"

"I'm starting to think it was a mistake to do that." she said while smiling, but I took it seriously.

"I hope that it wasn't."

"Stefan!" she said seriously "It was one of the best decisions Damon and I've ever made." I stared at her thankfully, trying to show her how much I appreciate that. "So…you working tomorrow?"

"Yeah. I have to go to the Gilbert house."

"What? Why so?" she turned surprised while holding a dirty plate "Wasn't you suppose to be at the factory?"

"Daniel decided to send me off and fix some kind of porch. I guess I'll see exactly how much work I have to do tomorrow. But the Gilberts are rich. Their house is probably enormous."

"Well then take it slowly."

"You don't have to be so concerned about me all the time, Bonnie. I can take care of myself." I tried to give her a reassuring look, but she just shook her head.

"Come on ,he has to sleep now." I handed James over and this time he didn't have the strength to protest, so he just cuddled in his mother and finally closed his eyes. Before she took him away however I stood up and kissed him on the forehead.

"Sweet dreams, James."

Elena's POV

I think it was around noon when I finally managed to get home. I knew Jenna would be pissed off and we would start fight the moment I came in but once when I finally took my shoes off, which as it turned out was a far more difficult task than I originally thought, I realized she was nowhere to be found.

My brother was either sleeping in his room or was out somewhere with his friends-both of which was ok with me. I avoided him as much as I could lately and I don't think that in the last month we have said anything other than Hey and Bye to each other.

My head hurt so bad the only thing I wanted was to lie down. I knew I shouldn't have gone to that party last night but Tyler convinced me in the last moment. Once again like every time in the past months I got drunk and the problem was I didn't even feel ashamed of myself. I slowly headed to the kitchen do pour myself a glass of water and search for an aspirin when I realized that I could actually hear someone making a terrible noise from the back porch of the house. That surprised me-was Jenna destroying the property now?

Unwillingly and with my head still pulsating like hell I headed to the back door. Once I was actually outside I was surprised to see the hot back of a boy with blond hair who has leaned down and was ripping the white wooden floor apart. It seemed like he has already dealt with almost half of it cause there was a big hole before him.

"Who the hell are you?" once he finally turned around, not as surprised as me but still with a questioning look on his face I realized I've seen him somewhere.

"Uhm…I'm fixing your porch. Mrs. Sommers hired me a few days ago." his voice was so warm and kind it made you want to just answer him politely. But I wasn't going do that. Not with the amount of alcohol trying to get out of my system preventing me from thinking clearly. And his strong arms wasn't making it easy for me to concentrate. Oh God-his arms! It all suddenly came back to me-Caroline was talking about him. He was that new boy that almost put me down yesterday. I lost all interest. The way he was dressed somehow pushed me away-he was dirty, sweaty and his hair was beyond messy.

"Well can you make less noise? My head hurts like hell."

"I actually can't do that." he answered with a sad and sincere face.

"Elena!" I turned unwillingly at the sound of my aunt's voice. "You're finally home." I furrowed my eyebrows cause I started to see how this was going to end. "Come inside, we have talk."

We left the boy alone. I saw that he was uncomfortable being there and this actually surprised me. While Jenna and I yelled at each other in the kitchen I felt like he was trying to make as much noise as he can so as not to hear our words.

Stefan's POV

Work made me forget about everything bad in my life. It made me do something and it took my mind away from stuff, from the pain I felt inside me. I loved to work hard and enjoyed the outcome of it even more because it meant I was trying to leave a mark in this world.

Now I had another reason to work even harder. I wanted to earn as much money as I could from this porch fixing because we spend a lot on the medications yesterday. On the other hand the painkillers the doctor gave me were still making my movements slower and I was in this middle condition where my soul was urging me to move faster and faster, to be quicker so that I can do as much as I can today and my body was slowing me down. My hands were trembling and I've been shuffling my legs all day long. I was hoping Jenna didn't notice that cause they might decide to replace me.

Actually once this Elena girl came home they started fighting in the kitchen. I hated fights so I tried to surround myself with enough noise so as not to be able to hear them. Such situations always reminded me of when our parents used to yell at each other. More like when father yelled at mother or when Damon did something bad and father grounded him for weeks. That was when he was home of course, which were the hardest months for us. It was better when he was away.

I decided it was time to stop when I almost hit my hand with the hammer. For a moment there I leaned back on the side of the house and closed my eyes. I could feel sweat streaming down my face. My t-shirt was wet and with the light breeze that appeared a while ago I felt my back a little cold. But it was a nice kind of cold. I looked at my hands and noticed the scratches I've acquired from moving those laths, but they didn't really hurt me since they were already very rough from working all those hours back in Chicago.

I let my pack out and lit a cigarette. Someone might say that working as a carpenter and smoking while doing it is practically a suicide mission and I wouldn't oppose them. Just to make sure I won't burn the house down I stood up and decided to sit at least on the stairs leading to the big backyard, having the fake feeling that this might be somehow bit safer. I realized that the window kitchen was opened and I started distinguishing their words.

"Elena, you can't keep doing that! You disappear for days and you're not even telling me where you going. You haven't slept in your own bed in probably a week."

"Are we really doing this again Jenna? Now what? You'll ground me again?"

"You have to get yourself together! It's been months. And I was giving you your space but you have to stop being so selfish and think about the rest of your family too."

"My family is dead" she yelled and I felt a sharp pain in my chest. "My parents are dead-buried in the ground, three meters under me and they are not coming back! This is the reality, Jenna. You can't make everything right! They are not like the back porch outside that even a limping teenager can fix!

"Elena" Jenna's voice sounded both hurt and very serious. "Don't talk like that!"

"Whatever, Jenna." it seemed like for Elena the conversation was over

"Don't walk away from me!" one last desperate attempt to keep her as far as I could hear. I put my cigarette down.

There was so much pain in the world that it hurts. Why was it like that? Why can't people keep their families? Why is everything so fragile that we could lose it within a minute? I was trying so hard to convince myself that this life has a meaning and that this world is a beautiful place. And sometimes I really managed to see that. Like when I got up early in the morning, the sun still hasn't come up and the house was so silent, peaceful and it made me glad and grateful that I had to witness the slow awaking of the day while everyone else in the house were still in deep sleep. In such moments while tying my old shoes and leaving for work I couldn't deny that feeling inside me that told me there is something good out there. Was it hope? I couldn't say, but I'm glad it was deep down there in me, cause it meant I wasn't completely lost.

There were other times though where I couldn't understand anything, just like now. How it happens that we can be consumed by anger and grief? How do we fight with what's inside us? How do we oppose our stubbornness and pride? I felt this heaviness inside me all the time that scared me in certain moments and I asked myself will it ever go away?

I didn't know this girl at all and yet I could feel her pain and the bitterness in her voice. None of this was however my business. They were a family and they would probably figure a way to fix things together. Me? I was the limping retard fixing the only thing that could be back to its old self in this house and I was practically invisible.

That didn't mean that I wasn't a human though. And as such I wanted to feel sympathy for this girl, but on the other hand she was beyond mean and disrespectful and that wasn't a way of dealing with a problem. In two words-I was conflicted, but it wasn't my job to fix young broken cheerleaders. I had so much more problems I had to deal with in my own life. Like trying to pay my brother off for yesterday. He should never have to pay for the mistakes I made in the past. We all must face the consequences of our decisions. And I never ever regretted mine even if they seemed wrong to others, even if they kept bringing me enormous pain every day. They were mine-I had to live with them for better or for worse.