((Hey everyone! Sorry this chapter is so short, but it came to me in a spurt today and after writing out what I had in my brain I was too emotionally exhausted to continue. But, I'm so glad you all are enjoying the story so far! Thank You for all your positive feedback and reviews! Elijah and Elena continues next chapter. I just couldn't leave Klaus and Caroline and Stefan and Damon alone after what happened in the last chapter))
"Well, that wasn't at all awkward…" Caroline mused as she slid into the driver's seat of her car and shut the door.
"Trust me, I've been through more awkward situations than that," Klaus smirked sadly as he shut his own door and reached for his seat belt, "I'm just sorry that it ruined our date."
Caroline sighed as she put the keys in the ignition, "Me too, I shouldn't have even answered the phone when Stefan called-it's just, I thought it was a major crisis or something... but it turns out he's just hurt and frustrated and wanted to take his anger out on someone."
"Well, I'm an excellent candidate considering my track record," Klaus said, resting his hands on the leather bag of drawings that now sat in his lap
Caroline closed her eyes and sighed, "Don't say that."
"Why?" Klaus replied, "It's true. Stefan's right. I've done nothing but hurt the people you love and use Elena since I came to this town. And just because we fought together against my Mother, doesn't mean that any of you should trust me now, least of all you. Hell, my own siblings don't even trust me…not that I blame them."
Caroline opened her eyes and pulled the keys from the ignition, turning off the car as she turned to face Klaus.
"But they love you," she said
"What?" Klaus asked, confused
"Your siblings," Caroline continued, "For over a thousand years, Rebekah stood by you, Elijah helped you and protected you, even Kol and Finn stayed with you for a time, am I right? Why would they do that after all the horrible things you supposedly did, unless, deep down inside, they still loved you through all of it."
"What is your point?" Klaus asked curiously
"You say I shouldn't trust you and maybe you're right…" Caroline whispered, leaning forward, her eyes now searching the original's, "But, I just want you to know, for future reference, that that doesn't mean I can't love you."
# # # # # #
Damon smiled, taking a sip from his glass as he walked unannounced into his brother's bedroom, watching as Stefan flopped himself down on top of his bed.
"Well, that conversation you had with Klaus had all the tact of Nazi storm trooper," he quipped
"Someone had to say it," Stefan sighed, closing his eyes as he reached for the pillow above his head and threw it over his face, "And don't pretend you haven't been thinking the same thing since Elena left town with Elijah."
"Well, I won't pretend… because I haven't been thinking the same thing" Damon retorted, taking a seat in the lounge chair in the corner of the room, "you got to this cracked delusion all on your own little brother. I'm just here for damage control-to help you get a hold of yourself before you completely 'Hulk Out' on us, because, if you ask me, that's where this morning is headed."
"Ugh…Damon!" Stefan cried through the pillow, then tossed it off his face and threw it hard at his brother as he sat up on the bed
"Stefan," Damon chided back immediately as he swatted the pillow away with his free hand and watched it land on the floor at his feet, then took another swig from his glass.
Stefan opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out.
He just flared his nostrils and rubbed is hands angrily over his blue jean clad thighs.
"You know what I have been thinking," Damon suddenly said, standing up from his seat, "As much as this tastes like arsenic coming out of my mouth…I think Klaus is right. I think that you are taking this all too hard—that your feelings are magnified by the fact that you are still coming down off the human blood and that Elena's leaving town was the straw that broke the camel's back. Face it-you are hurt, Stefan, and you don't know what to do and your only defense mechanism is to lash out and blame someone—"
"Yeah, well, I'm sorry that I don't compartmentalize my feelings and then explode later like some people!" Stefan shot back
Damon narrowed his eyes at his brother and for the next few moments they stared at each other in silence.
"You're right, I'm the time bomb and you're the bleeding heart," Damon said finally, his eyes locking with his brother as he took another sip from his tumbler, "It's always been that way and it probably always will be. But, you know, after I found that note in Elena's room last night, I thought that perhaps, just this once, that we could be there for each other... like real brothers. We never got to do that before…and I thought just for a moment…." Damon's lip trembled as he trailed off in thought, then pulled himself together and straightened his posture as he continued, "But, instead, you've let your anger and your grief, blind you. And instead of going to a place of forgiveness, you go to a place of rage—"
"And just who are you to be giving advice on 'forgiveness' and 'rage'?" Stefan mocked
"Touche. But I'm not the one teetering on the edge here, Stefan, you are," Damon insisted, "I told you once that I am here for you, Stefan, and that I will be there to pull you back from the edge when you go too far. Well, that is what I am doing right now..."
Damon reached out and touched Stefan's shoulder with his free hand, his eyes meeting his brother's head on.
"You're becoming the 'Ripper' again, Stefan. Only this time, it's not my fault and it's not Klaus'...you're making yourself that way."
Stefan's mouth suddenly dropped open as Damon released his shoulder and downed the rest of his tumbler with sad eyes, before turning and walking out through the bedroom door.