Okay, I know someone prompted something along the lines of Damon having a dream that Stefan reverted to his ripper state but I can't find who or the exact prompt. Anyway, whoever you are, this is for you.

This chapter takes place shortly after Damon discovered Stefan's true classification and during Lexi's stay with them around that time.

There is a lot of blood, manipulation and violence in this chapter, moreso than usual. As well as a bit of a graphic depiction of a murder. Take care of yourself, no fic is worth the risk of your mental health.

Damon feels weird about asking a 16 year old to meet up with him, especially at the house. It's not a conversation they can have in public. At least Sheila gave permission for this.

Bonnie is clearly confused as he enters the Salvatore boarding house. She hikes her purse up over her shoulder, looking around. Damon awkwardly shoves his hands in his pockets.

"Do you want something to drink?"

"Um, no, I'm good, thanks." Bonnie tilts her head. "Is Stefan here?"

"No, Lexi's in town. She took him to a movie."

"Okay…"

This isn't their dynamic. They snark. They joke. Damon can't manage a crack. Instead, anxiety bubbles up inside of him.

"Maybe we should take a seat."

He leads her into the living room and she lowers herself on the couch. Damon pours himself a glass of bourbon, knocking it back, followed by another. His confidence returns as he walks over. Keeping a full cushion between the two, Damon settles on the couch.

"I need to talk to you about Stefan."

Bonnie tilts her head. "What about him?"

"Well, you probably know he's on a vegetarian diet. For a vampire…"

"I know what it means," Bonnie interrupts, her voice teetering the line of weary and irritated. "I'm a witch. Plus, Stefan told me about his ripper days."

"Right. Well, now that he's under my care, I want to try to get him readjusted to human blood."

Bonnie frowns. "That's not safe."

"I know he's had his troubles before, but I'm here now. He won't be alone. I wouldn't let him go on any rampages. We'd start out slow. That's also kind of where you come in. I was hoping you knew of a way to help curb his urges."

"Witches notoriously hate vampires," Bonnie says, as if he's 5-years-old. "Why would we have any spells to help you?"

Damon furrows his brows. "I'd think it'd benefit the good of everyone if rippers were under control."

Bonnie lets out a long sigh. She taps her foot, opening and closing her mouth a few times. No words come out. He soldiers on.

"I mean, one of the reasons the classification system was put into place is to help prevent crime. Stefan's being tended to by me."

"There's a huge difference between a human serial killer and a vampire with zero impulse control. It's like any other addiction. Would you tell an alcoholic to drink in moderation?"

"That's different."

"It's really not," Bonnie says with an eye roll. "I can't believe you're considering this."

"Human blood will keep him safe," Damon tries his best to remain calm. "He'll be stronger, able to defend himself better if I'm not there."

"And what happens if he falls off the deep end? Are you truly prepared to bring him back?"

"I could handle it."

"Can you? Really?"

Bonnie tilts her head, studying his eyes for a moment. She faces her palms upwards.

"Take my hands."

"Why?"

"Just do it."

Reluctantly, Damon obeys. There's a jolt to his system as his eyes cloud over.

Damon walks down the long, winding staircase to the basement. He cringes as he hears the cries coming from Stefan's cell. Each one tugs at his heart. He slowly approaches the door, pushing back the slot at the top, giving him a good view of the room. It's bare bones, four walls, a cot and a single lightbulb hanging overhead.

Stefan sits on the floor, holding his stomach and crying out. Fat tears fall down his face. Damon looks down at his own hands, which are covered in gloves. In his grip is a rag soaked with vervain.

A part of Lexi's regimen. She told him from the beginning if he allowed this, it was his mess to clean up.

Damon slides the door open, quickly shutting it behind him before Stefan can try an escape attempt. The baby brother looks up at Damon, his lips quivering.

"I want my ring back," he whines.

Damon shakes his head. "You know I can't do that, Stef."

"I need blood," Stefan begs.

Damon points to the mini-fridge in the corner. "That's stocked with it."

The tears quickly dry up. Stefan expels a loud hiss. "I don't want that crap! You know exactly what I need!"

Just as fast as the darkness came, it slowly evaporates back to the doe eyed sadness. Stefan clutches at his stomach.

"Please, DayDay."

Damon wipes at his face to hide any tears. He needs to stay strong. He has to do this. Stefan's battled the line between Little and Ripper. His younger side doesn't quite understand why he's so hungry. The betrayal of his big brother not giving him what he needs.

Damon bends down, putting the rag on the floor. "Bunny," he whispers. "I know how starved you must be. Why don't you drink some deer? It'll help you feel better."

"No!" Stefan wails. "Why are you being mean? Do you hate me?!"

Damon's voice cracks and he quickly tries to hide it. "No, no, no. Stef, I love you more than anything on this earth! That's why I'm doing this."

"You p…you promised I didn't have to go back to animal blood."

Damon chews his lip. "That was before."

"Before what?"

Before I found you wandering the woods, blood staining your face and clothes.

Before I had to hide several bodies.

Before you killed Elena.

The last image haunts Damon's memory. He came upon the two behind the school. Stefan's fangs deep in her neck. Damon tore him off, but it was too late. She didn't have a pulse. Vampire blood couldn't save her.

He can still see her eyes rolled in the back of her head. The locket her parents gave her now mangled in the wound on her neck.

That was when Damon locked Stefan in the basement. Once again, he covered it up. No one will ever tie Stefan to the crime. The body is too mangled. The security camera footage, erased.

Damon knows it was wrong. But the alternative is worse. Stefan being locked up and drained of all blood is better than Klaus and Caroline murdering him.

It's Damon's fault they're here. He'll fix it. Stefan is his responsibility. He can't give up on his brother. The little boy has been though too much!

"Because I love you," Damon says softly, touching his cheek with the hand that didn't once contain the rag.

At first a single tear falls into his palm. Damon squeezes his brother's face. His cheeks are sunk in, dark circles beneath his eyes. Stefan's accepted food, but that's about the only thing keeping him alive at this point. Damon knows he's not sleeping.

"Just a few sips of animal blood."

Curiosity fills Stefan's eyes. Damon gently pulls off and walks over to the fridge. He grabs a bag filled with chipmunk blood and carries it over. Damon rips it open, holding it out. With shaky hands, Stefan slowly accepts it…

Damon can't blink before it's thrown on him. He sputters, trying to get the disgusting taste out of his mouth. Wiping at his face, he gets a glimpse at his baby brother once again. The darkness has returned to his eyes, venom bursting from his pores.

"I told you what I want," Stefan growls. "So give it to me!"

"I'm not scared of you," Damon says, and he means it. "I know you don't feel it right now, but you're my baby brother. The one who's kind, caring, sweet. The little boy who hates to let anyone down. And I know that you can still feel. That a part of you knows that what you've been doing is wrong."

Stefan is quiet for a moment. He regards his big brother, tilting his head.

"You're right," he says.

Damon smiles, relief filling his system. "I am?"

"Yes. As long as I can feel, I'll keep snapping back to that sniveling little baby who only wants his big brother." Damon's mouth drops open. "It's all such a joke. You want to control me."

"That's not true."

"It is. You want me to be a little baby to help you feel better about creating this monster. But also so you won't be alone. Because let's face it, I'm the only one who's never left you. I'm the only one who's ever going to love you."

The words pierce Damon's heart like the white oak. His breath hitches. Hatred fills Stefan's face.

"Y…you don't mean this," Damon makes out. "You're hungry and you're tired. And you're taking it out on me." He clears his throat, standing up straight. "I can take it. You hate me all you want, but I'm your big brother. I promised you that I won't leave you, that I'll always be there to pull you back from destruction. I meant that."

Damon takes a step forward.

"Hate me," he challenges. "It means you still care. That my baby brother is somewhere still in there, ready to be saved."

"I know he is," Stefan says. Damon swears he sees a tear in his green eyes. "Which is why I have to do this."

Stefan shuts his eyes. It takes a moment for Damon to realize what he's about to do.

"Stefan, no!"

He picks up the rag from the floor and starts to put it on Stefan's arm. His brother grabs his hand, throwing him backwards. The rag propels, smacking Damon right in the face. He cries out as it burns his mouth and eyes, desperately pushing it to get it off. When he finally gets free, Stefan stands above him. The hatred has disappeared from his eyes, as has any light. There's no smile nor scowl. He stares down at his brother, with a blank face.

Damon clambers up, bolting out the cell door. Before he can slam it shut, Stefan breaks through. Damon races up the stairs, his brother hot on his trial. He makes it to the living room, grabbing one of the pokers and breaking it in half. Stefan appears before him, chuckling a bit.

"Oh, you're so tough," he drolls.

"Turn it back on, Stef," Damon warns.

"Or what? You're going to kill me?"

"I don't want to!"

"And you won't."

Damon shakes his head. "I need to protect you from yourself. If this is the way…"

"Oh, cut the bullshit." Stefan scoffs. "You're not going to kill me. Not your baby brother, your precious wittle Bunny Boy. You need me too much. You love me too much. That's the thing about emotions, Damon. They make us weak."

Damon breathes heavily, moving closer, the sharp, broken poker in hand. Stefan doesn't move.

"Do it," he taunts. "Kill your baby brother. You'll be able to live with that, right?"

Damon's hands shake. He looks from the poker to his brother.

Stefan is still buried beneath all of there. He could turn back on his humanity. He'll fight for it. Then he can handle guiding his brother through the guilt.

Damon drops the poker. Stefan nods.

"As I thought."

He heads out of the room. Damon frowns.

"Where are you going?"

"To hunt, obviously. There's a football game tonight." Stefan grabs his leather jacket. "Don't wait up."

Damon yanks his hands away, breathing heavily. Bonnie's face is kinder now, with only a little sternness in the eyes.

"I could show you more," she offers.

"I've seen enough," Damon whispers. The image of Stefan's dead eyes burns a hole in him. "I don't…how did Lexi manage to do it?"

"I'd wager while she does love Stefan as a brother, their bond is much different. You raised him. Knew him when he was good, soft, little. Lexi met him when he was on a bad path. Fixing his broken pieces is all she knows. Just as saving your brother is what you do."

Damon slowly nods. He stares at Bonnie in amazement. How can she, at 16 ,have more emotional maturity than him?

"You think he'll be fine on animal blood?" Damon asks.

"He's survived this long." Bonnie rises, grabbing her discarded purse.

Damon lets out a deep breath. He's defeated numerous vampires, killed many humans. On a normal day, he can pull Stefan back. His brother respects his authority. Damon has no trouble spanking or grounding him. More often, they talk.

He can't talk the ripper out of his brother.

"Thank you, Bonnie," he says. "Maybe it wasn't fair of me to ask you here…but it helped."

"I care about Stefan a great deal. I always will." She pauses. "You're a good big brother."

"I didn't take his addiction seriously."

"No, but you stopped yourself before it went too far. That shows you're willing to change."

I know I may be in the minority, but I was always okay with Stefan's vegetarian diet. The writers were explicit that it's on par with addiction. The scenes of him detoxing are similar to those doing the same for drugs. Therefore, I think those trying to force it on Stefan is like giving a heroin addict a needle and telling him he can enjoy it in moderation.

Damon admits in canon that he never had to explicitly deal with the aftermath of Stefan becoming a ripper, so he truly didn't know how bad it was. He needed to see that no, Stefan can't drink human blood in moderation. As well as admit he would not have what it takes to truly kill his baby brother.

Anyway, excuse the rambling. I hope you all enjoyed! As always let me know what you think and feel free to leave prompts.