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Chapter 25: Choices of the Past

They periodically tried to snap Stefan out of it, calling to him. All he did was lay in the cellar, eyes open and wandering, yet seemed to be unconscious.

Sakura made sure she visited him, on her own. "Stefan, stop acting out. It's not like you," Sakura complained.

"How would you know?" Stefan mumbled.

"I know a lot of things," Sakura stated, "I know how it is to wonder who you've become, how it happened, what went wrong."

Stefan sat up and looked at her curiously, "What do you mean?"

"You're in self-pity mode, sulking about drinking human blood, even though that's what vampires do," Sakura started.

"It's not just that, it's everything!," he exclaimed, "I didn't just drink human blood, I almost killed that girl!"

"Almost, but didn't," Sakura made sure to mention, "I know you've done a lot of things, but the point is that you regret it, quite the humanistic quality if I do say. Anyways, I've done horrible things also, I've been in that dark place that feels like an eternal abyss. The point is, to repent for the things you've done, and remember what good you have done. You're a good person Stef, regardless of what you think. Either way, I'm not going to let you throw your life away," Sakura smiled. Stefan stared at her, in deep thought, not fully grasping what she said. He was also curious as to what she had done. Could her past really be that horrible. "Stay alive to make the lives taken, not completely worthless, by doing good things," Sakura sighed, "I'm not going to let you give up," Sakura flicked him in the forehead with energy. She stood up to leave and stopped, "Just remember, that when you gaze long into an abyss, it also gazes into you."

"Friedrich Nietzsche," Stefan smirked as Sakura walked away.

They made their way down to the cellar, on another day. Elena looked through the bars, "It's so hard to see him locked up like this."

"You're the one who locked him up," Damon stated.

Sakura punched Damon in the arm, "You helped."

Damon cringed, mouthing 'ow.' "Well, I couldn't have him going around chewing on people while the town was looking for vampires, now could I?" Damon smirked.

"It had nothing to do with you actually caring about him?" Elena turned to them.

"Your thing, not mine," Damon stated.

"Liar," Sakura crossed her arms and looked at him. "No matter what, he's still your brother," Sakura said as Damon turned to leave.

"I didn't really get a chance to thank your brother. Although it was nice to meet him," Elena smiled weakly at Sakura.

"Who knew he'd be there? He's kind of random with appearances, and I think he knows more than anyone, somehow," Sakura pondered out loud.

Elena and Sakura walked upstairs together and Damon was looking at the device Pearl gave him for John. "Any idea what it is?" Sakura asked as she flopped down on the couch.

"Nope, whatever it is, it doesn't work," Damon said as he examined the pocket watch sized item.

"Pearl didn't say anything else about it?" Elena asked as she folded up some jeans.

"She thought she was stealing his vampire compass, but it was a pocket watch. That Jonathon Gilbert was a crazy scientist. Have you spoke with your uncle lately?" Damon asked.

"I've been avoiding him actually. That and I've been here most nights," Elena explained.

"So you'll be here again tonight?" Damon asked.

"Is that a problem?" Elena asked.

Damon turned to her, "Yes, you are a complete nuisance."

"You complain about me and not her?" Elena asked, pointing to Sakura. Sakura looked at her, smiled and gave her a peace sign. Elena shook her head, "I'll see you later." Elena fixed up her bag and left.

"Shouldn't you be at school or something?" Damon leant on the couch and looked down at her.

"Is that a complaint?" Sakura smirked.

"No," Damon smiled and leant in to kiss her.

Sakura turned her head, "Aren't you suppose to be bringing your brother some vampire blood?" Sakura asked.

Damon jumped over the couch and sat beside her, he put his arm on the couch behind her. He leaned in and whispered, "I'd rather be doing something else." Damon leant in more, kissed her cheek and nibbled on her ear.

Sakura giggled and pushed him away, "Hurry up and get him his food."

Damon's head dropped, sulking. "Fine," Damon pouted as he got off the couch.

Damon disappeared downstairs to try and give Stefan some animal blood for a few minutes. He came back up slightly grumpy, which Sakura assumed meant that Stefan didn't take the blood. On his way back over to Sakura his phone rang and he stopped. "Hello. Before I hang up, how'd you get this number?" Damon asked and glanced at Sakura who was trying to suppress a smirk. "What kind of digging? Did he find anything? Isobel knows John, whatever we knew that," Damon leant on the bookcase as he talked on his phone. "Isobel's in Grovehill?" Sakura raised an eyebrow as he said this. "Perfect, give me the address. I'm not going with you, you tried to kill me," Damon got another call, "Hold on. What? Extra broody, hold on. You drive, pick me up in an hour. He won't eat anything," Damon sat down on a couch, with his feet up on a table. "His favourite kind of what? Ew, gross," Damon smirked, "Helps me. Now hurry up. I can't babysit all night, I have things to do, ha ha," Damon fake laughed, "Stefan likes puppy blood. Little golden retriever puppies. Hey what," Sakura took the phone from Damon.

"Ignore him, he's being an idiot," Sakura glared at him as he looked around, trying to act innocent. "Maybe it's better if you don't ask about it anyways," Sakura hung up his phone and tossed it on him. Sakura turned to walk away when he grabbed her wrist and pulled her down onto the chair with him.

Sakura giggled as he wrapped his arm around his waist, "Why are you mean to me, Saki?" Damon pouted.

"Still trying to find a nickname," Sakura smirked, "Anyways, you were being an idiot. Trying to say he eats dog, that's silly. He eats rabbits and squirrels," Sakura laughed.

Damon kissed the top of her head and started playing with Sakura's hair. "You should stay here, with Elena," Damon suggested.

"Trying to stop me from going to Grove Hill with you and, I'm assuming, Alaric?" Sakura sat up properly and looked at him.

"You don't need to come, it might be dangerous, might be a dead end," Damon looked at her.

Sakura laughed, "Dangerous? You say this to the person that hangs out with vampires, has been bitten, stabbed and tortured, all since coming here."

"That is exactly why you should stay here," Damon stated. Damon turned her head, so she would look into his eyes, "Stay here," he tried compulsion.

"Stay here," Sakura said it like a zombie. "Brain," Sakura put her arms out towards him, "Brains."

"Hey guys," Elena said as she arrived. Sakura rushed away from Damon, he sighed and leant back on the couch. "What's going on?" Elena asked suspiciously.

"What? Who? Zombie…" Sakura spat.

"What did you say?" Elena looked at her.

"Nothing," Sakura laughed nervously and sat down on the big couch, away from Damon.

"I could have sworn you said something else," Elena shook her head, deciding to ignore it. She went by them and down to check on Stefan.

"You know, it's really not much of a secret," Damon pointed back and forth between Sakura and himself.

"It sort of is," Sakura sighed.

"How so?" Damon looked confused and slightly angry.

"They know we're friends…" Sakura trailed off.

"And that we like each other," Damon stated.

"But nothing more than that. And they wouldn't really understand, considering how much they hate you sometimes," Sakura said it bluntly.

Elena came back up, grumpy that Stefan wouldn't eat and was sulking. She sat down and sighed.

"You know he's just being dramatic. He's not going to starve himself," Damon walked closer to Elena and leant on the bar.

"Why would he say that?" Elena seemed hung-up on what Stefan said.

"He feels bad about hurting that girl," Damon stated, "It's very typical Stefan, martyr stuff. It will pass," he assured her.

"Will it?" Elena wasn't sure, "Because he seemed to be in a lot of pain."

"Yeah, well that will pass too. Once he eats," Damon scoffed.

"She didn't mean physical pain," Sakura walked up beside Damon.

"I know what she meant," Damon glared at Sakura.

Sakura looked at the clock, "Time to go."

"Where are you going?" Elena asked.

"I," Damon stated specifically, "Have to go on an errand with your teacher."

"I'm going so you don't get him killed!" Sakura exclaimed. "Call Leilani if you need anything," Sakura suggested, "Heck, you can get her over here just for company if you wanted."

Elena nodded with a smile. Sakura grabbed her jacket and Damon followed suit, putting his leather jacket on. "Stay up here, you shouldn't be too trusting," Damon stated.

Elena rolled her eyes, "So are you, otherwise you wouldn't be leaving."

"We won't be long," Damon followed Sakura out.

Alaric was surprised that Sakura came along, but glad after she told him the reason. They stopped off at the address, got out of the car and walked up to the door. "This is the one here," Alaric stated, "Records show this had been paid 3 months in advance."

"This is where it get's tricky," Damon reached for the door, "I may or may not be able to get in."

Damon knocked on the door and they waited. "How does it work? Do you always have to be invited in?" Alaric asked.

"By the owner or person of entitlement. Short term rentals on rooms or hotels are a bit of a grey area. You kind of got to play it by ear," Damon explained. Having gotten tired of waiting Damon gripped the doorknob.

"Can we not kill anyone tonight please?" Alaric asked.

"You mean you just brought me along for my company," Damon turned the handle with a screeching noise and opened the door.

"Doesn't look like anyone's home," Alaric stepped in with Sakura behind him.

Damon looked at the doorway, not sure. He put his foot through the doorway, without any trouble. "Yeah, I'm good," Damon said, not feeling anything keeping him out. "No permanent resident apparently," Damon whispered as he closed the door.

Alaric started to walk forward, they walked into the kitchen and opened the fridge to find bags of blood. "Ric, we have company," Damon said as something jumped Alaric.

The young looking, male vampire tried to choke Ric, when he punched him with his version of 'wooden' knuckles, that were like brass knuckles. He tried to get up, growling when Sakura stopped him. Damon walked up beside Sakura and Alaric and looked at the vampire. "I know you," Damon stated.

"Damon?" he recognized him.

Damon put his hand on Sakura's shoulder and she let the vampire go.

"You're names Henry, you were in the tomb," Damon apparently recognized him also.

"Yes sir," Henry smiled. "What are you doing here?" Henry asked as he looked at them all.

Henry pulled out a blood bag and poured it into a glass, as they sat in the kitchen to talk leisurely. "So, how do you know John Gilbert?" Henry asked.

"Well, I've known him for years," Damon lied, "He's a good friend. How do you know him?"

"I met him right after I got out of the tomb," Henry stated. So John had been in town for longer than anyone knew? "He's been helping me out," Henry picked up the glass.

"Helping you out how?" Alaric asked as he stood with his arms crossed.

"Adapting," Henry said as he set the glass of blood on the table for Damon. He had good manners for a vampire. "It's a whole new world. Cars, computers, , there's so much to learn," he grabbed another blood bag from the fridge, "He helped me get this place."

"So you live here alone?" Alaric asked. Sakura looked around from the kitchen, to see if there was anything suspicious or signs of others. "Or is there someone else here?" Alaric asked.

"That's my friend's very passive-aggressive way of asking, do you know a woman named Isobel?" Damon said as Henry looked at him, nervously.

"No, no I don't know an Isobel. I know John, he's my only real friend," Henry answered as he emptied his blood bag into a glass. He didn't really seem like the other vampires. "He really showed me the ropes. How to use a microwave, separate my whites," he smiled.

"What else do you do for him?" Alaric asked.

"I help keep an eye on things, you know with the others," Henry said.

"The others?" Sakura asked.

"From the tomb, they're still pissed that the founding families tried to burn them alive. I'm cool, but those tomb boys they want revenge," Henry took a drink.

"What does John want with them?" Alaric asked.

"He's just keeping an eye on them, you know. Trying to make sure they stay out of trouble," Henry didn't seem to know too much.

"Well that's John, such a do-gooder," Damon laughed. Who knows how he could say that with a straight face.

Henry's phone rang and it was John. Damon took the phone, wanting to talk to him. Damon looked at the phone, but didn't answer. "Are you going to answer that?" Henry asked, not sure why Damon hesitated.

"Am I going to answer that?" Damon asked unsure and Alaric shook his head no.

"What's going on?" Henry asked. He turned to Alaric with his fangs bared. Sakura stopped him from moving and Alaric stabbed him. Henry dropped to the ground.

"Let's not kill anyone tonight, your words," Damon pointed out as he pat Alaric on the shoulder twice.

They searched through the house to no avail. There was nothing that would help them in their search. Damon poured some of the blood from the fridge into a glass and got Alaric a beer.

"This is a real dead end," Alaric complained.

"Wouldn't beat myself over it man," Damon said, "What did you think you were going to find? Isobel, with a cigar and slippers?"

Alaric and Sakura laughed. "I've got to stop this, I can't keep searching for her," Alaric sighed as he wiped his face with his hand.

"Really? After only two years? That's moderately healthy," Damon pulled out a chair and sat on it, with his arms hanging over the front of the seat, as he sat on it backwards.

"Better than what you did," Sakura smirked.

"Yeah, what are you going on 146?" Alaric asked.

"I figure the 200 mark is probably a good stopping point," Damon smirked.

"I'm going to double check through things," Sakura got up and left them to talk. She walked upstairs to look around, "200 years…" Sakura talked to herself, "Got to wonder if that was a joke or not."

"Come on Saku, we're headed home," Damon called up to her. Sakura sighed and headed downstairs, wondering if they could have caught John using that place. "Something wrong?" Damon asked.

"Hm, what? No…" Sakura answered, seeming out of it.

They headed back inside the boarding house. "Ugh, god you're still here," Damon said as they walked into the parlour where Elena was sitting on the couch and writing in her journal.

"We're you expecting anything else?" Leilani came walking in. "So nice of you to tell me where you were going," Leilani said sarcastically walking up to Sakura.

"So, you needed company?" Sakura asked Elena.

"Love the company, but she's the one that called me," Elena smirked. "So, how was the errand?" Elena asked.

"Futile," Damon replied as he flopped onto the couch. "Although I think I witnessed your teacher having an existential crisis," Damon stated.

"Has Stefan eaten yet?" Sakura asked, leaning on the couch where Elena was.

"I think he's getting there, but he's got a lot of guilt he's got to deal with. It doesn't help that Damon spent the last 145 years punishing him for Katherine getting caught," Elena frowned.

"This is my fault now?" Damon asked.

"Well, you didn't help," Sakura glared at him.

"It's no ones fault. I'm just saying, you're not exactly innocent. You've made it your life's mission to make him miserable," Elena said, upsetting Damon.

Damon got off the couch, obviously upset, "Let me ask you a question. In all this important soul searching and cleansing of the demons in Stefan's past. Did you ever manage to get the rest of the story?"

Elena sat up and Sakura stood up. "He said there was more," Elena stated.

"Yeah, that's an understatement," Damon walked away.

"Damon?" Sakura rushed up to him, with Elena behind her. She grabbed his arm and he stopped and turned around. "What happened?" Sakura asked, now curious. Damon came back to the parlour and explained that Stefan got him to turn.

"That's why he wants to die," Elena stormed away, and headed downstairs.

"Where are you going?" Damon asked as he took a drink of bourbon.

Sakura sighed and shook her head. Almost immediately, Elena came running back upstairs. "Call if you need anything," Sakura yelled to her as Elena left the house, in search of Stefan.

Damon sat down and played with the device he got from Pearl as they waited for Elena and Stefan.

"Everything is so dramatic over here," Leilani said.

"Yup," Damon replied nonchalantly.

"I love it," Leilani giggled as she clasped her hands together.

Sakura raised an eyebrow as she looked at Leilani, "Of course you do."

Elena came back in, holding hands with Stefan.

"Hello boy lost," Damon glanced up at them.

"I'll be upstairs," Elena left them to talk, "Coming Leilani."

"Yes mam!" Leilani rushed up the stairs. Sakura walked into the kitchen to give Stefan and Damon time to talk.

A couple of minutes later, Damon walked into the kitchen. "Are you alright?" Sakura asked him.

"Why wouldn't I be. All is right in the world, and I'm the big, bad older brother," Damon sighed.

"Oh come on," Sakura walked up to him, "Being all sulky and brooding is Stefan's job, not yours." Sakura took Damon's hand and pulled him to her, "Things aren't that bad right?" Sakura smirked as she moved a strand of hair out of his face.

"No, they're not," Damon smiled as he leaned in and kissed her.

Suddenly, something flashed in Sakura's mind. She quickly pushed Damon away and held onto her head. "Sakura? What's wrong?" Damon moved closer to her and she took another step away. "Sakura?" he said her name again, and he rushed to catch her as she passed out.

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