Ronnie_R prompted: "Damon bringing little space Stefan to council meetings has been mentioned before, but I'd love to see it! I like the idea of the other members being shocked by how different Damon acts with Stefan. And Stefan taking going to work with Damon very seriously and trying to help."

Damon used to be able to leave the house with nothing but wallet and keys in his pocket. Occasionally, maybe a couple of blood bags if he was in a rush that morning and couldn't sit to eat.

Now, he carries a diaper bag. Well, no, it's not really that. Stefan is a vampire. He doesn't experience human bodily functions the way other Littles do. Still, he's heard Caroline refer to it as such and now it's stuck in his brain.

The bag has just about everything he could need for his brother. Snacks, bottles, sippy cups, extra bags of animal blood, change of clothes, toys, tablet, headphones, blankets and other miscellaneous crap.

Damon often feels like Mary Poppins as he lugs it around. While some caregivers opt for the fun, colorful ones, he went with something that'd compliment his style. Black leather, acting as a one shoulder backpack that Damon can swing over his shoulder and go. As much fun as he pokes at it, the bag has become a lifeline. Everything his brother may need, just inches away.

"Stef, come on!" Damon calls up the stairs as he throws it over his shoulder. "You can play with your Legos later. We have to go."

"5 more minutes!"

"No. If we don't leave now, we'll be late and then the council will be angry."

Stefan vamps halfway down the stairs, holding his bunny close to his chest. "Would you get a timeout?"

Damon rolls his eyes. "No. I'd just have to hear a long boring lecture. Do you need help with your shoes?"

He sighs in relief as Stefan nods. These meetings are always a lot easier when his brother doesn't fight space. The last thing he needs is cranky Stefan as he tries to discuss the goings on.

"Which ones?" Damon asks once they reach the entry way.

Stefan rolls his eyes. "Spiderman, Day. Duh."

Damon cocks a brow. "Duh?"

"My shirt is Spiderman. Have to match."

The older brother holds back an eye roll, gently pushing him onto the bench and sliding the sneakers onto his feet.

"Are you going to be my good boy and stay quiet during the meeting?" Damon asks as he starts with the laces.

"Uh huh. Can I watch my tablet?"

"Yes, you may." Damon double knots the first and moves onto the other. "You can also take a nap." That was his preferred activity for Stefan. It wasn't anywhere close his usual, but they had been up late the night before. "You can either sit on my lap or on the couch."

"Couch." A beat of silence. "Why can't I help you?"

"Sitting there and being super quiet is helping me," Damon says, finishing off the second shoe and patting Stefan's cheek. "We're all set to go. Come on."

The ride to town hall is relatively short. Much to Damon's delight, Stefan is the only Little in attendance that day. While he does get along great with the others that normally do, it'll just rile him up. A perk of most of the council being married. Usually, their spouse can take care of their little ones. There are very few people that Damon trusts Stefan with. They're rarely apart if the baby brother isn't with his friends.

Damon rushes Stefan past Carol Lockwood, despite his brother happily waving at her. He helps him settle onto the couch, pulling the tablet and headphones from the backpack.

"Thomas or Blue's Clues?" Damon asks, fiddling with the app. A playful look takes over his brother's eyes. "Do not even ask about that horrific sponge."

Stefan giggles and Damon, in spite of his stress, can't help but smile. His brother is truly carefree and innocent when he's like this. Even when he's annoying his older brother, he's free. Not scared of getting in trouble or having to be a big boy.

"Thomas, DayDay," Stefan requests.

Damon nods and selects an episode. "Okay, this will automatically play the next one," he explains. "I'm going to be right there, at the big table, having very grownup conversations. Keep your headphones on. If you need me, what do you do?"

"Tug on your arm. Don't shout."

"Good boy. Now, you've got Bunny?" Stefan holds him up and Damon grins. "Let's get you cozy then."

The older brother grabs a fuzzy blue blanket and wraps it around his baby. Damon pulls the headphones over his ears and presses play on the episode. He kisses Stefan's forehead.

"Love you, Bunny Boy. I'll be right over here."

Stefan is already engrossed in the world of talking trains. During his first childhood, he loved going to the station and watching them come and go. Damon normally got dragged along as chaperone. Now, the show is enough to pacify him.

Damon heads over to the table and settles down, accepting a packet from Pearl before passing the next to Carol.

At one point, the council existed to protect the town from vampires. Damon infiltrated it during his brief return in the 20s. Once the treaty passed, things changed. There are still organizations that work to hunt the supernatural, but this one has the two parties communicate side by side. Humans share their concerns, vampires help ease them as well as share conflicts they're facing. They protect one another from rouge members of each party. It gives Damon something to do most days and keeps him on the right path.

Carol starts off the meeting once attendance is recorded. "So, the parent board is pushing for a meeting regarding the spring formal. That attacker, or attackers, are circling in closer, and we've yet to determine if they're supernatural or not."

"It's difficult," Damon says. "On the one hand, there's nothing abnormal about the assaults. However, that doesn't mean it's not a vampire covering their tracks well."

"We just got word that when a school in Radford held their formal, a group of female students were targeted." She shudders and purses her lips. "Everyone survived, but it has many on edge. There's talk of delaying the formal or suspending it this year all together. I feel we as a group should reach our consensus before the meeting and then we can hear their point of view."

Damon sits back as a bit of bickering breaks out. He knew it was inevitable. These attackers have everyone on edge. The unknown behind their crimes is the scariest part. Sure, they could just be a regular sicko that will easily be brought to justice when they slip. Or, there's more to why they've yet to be caught.

"I think a mandatory curfew should be put into place," Denise Wyelth says. "All teens, regardless of classification, need to be home by 10 PM."

Carol shakes her head. 'I'm unsure of how many would actually listen."

"They will if there's consequences."

"So, we punish them on top of taking their youth from them."

"Are you saying that just because you know your son would refuse to adhere to it?"

As much as Damon loves the vein popping out on Carol's forehead, he cuts in. "It's not just Tyler Lockwood we need to worry about. No teen is going to want to be home by 10 PM. Especially those not already used to it."

Denise rolls her eyes. "Teenagers don't want a lot of things."

"Perhaps, but a forced lockdown won't do much good. It should be left up to the parents and guardians."

He didn't add that he had no plans for Stefan to be let out of the house at night until this whole thing was sorted, but that was the point. What every family did in their own home was their business.

Eventually, they agreed to let the matter be for the moment. It was up to everyone's discretion on what to do with their teenagers. They vote 10-8 to postpone the dance (with Damon in the majority), but know they'll likely lose to the parent board on that one. Damon doesn't plan to allow Stefan to go, which is another battle to think of later.

They move onto other, less serious, topics. At one point, Damon glances over his shoulder and finds Stefan fast asleep, headphones still on. He turns back to the discussion, relieved. They're halfway through the second to last item on the agenda when his ears prick up. Whining. No one else turns around, though the vampires of the room look visibly alert.

Damon slowly swivels around and sees Stefan wiggling on the couch. His eyes are shut, body distressed. Without another thought, the older brother leaps from his chair and is across the room in two quick strides. Damon shoves the tablet back into the bag and scoops the little one up into his arms, keeping the blanket around him as he cuddles him close. Stefan clings to his big brother's shirt with one hand, the other firmly grasped on his bunny. His green eyes are wide.

"You're alright, buddy," Damon whispers, bouncing him a little.

"DayDay gone," Stefan whines.

"DayDay's right here. I'm not going anywhere."

Stefan sniffles. "No couch."

"That's fine. You can come sit with me."

"Help?"

"You can write some things down for me, come on."

Damon carries him back to where the others are, sitting down sits down and settling Stefan onto his lap. He flips to a blank page into his notebook and gives Stefan a pen to "write" with. Sure enough, it's mostly scribble.

Only after making sure his brother is settled, does Damon look back up. Most members, like Pearl and Denise, have gone on about the conversation. Some are staring at him and Stefan. Carol tilts her head. Damon ignores them. He simply runs his fingers through Stefan's soft curls while observing and occasionally adding to the conversation.

His baby brother listens intently, scribbling further on the paper and flipping the page as needed. Damon bites back a smile. Of the two, Stefan always cared about schools more. He holds more degrees, after all. It makes sense taking notes would be so important to him.

Once the meeting has adjourned, Damon stands up with Stefan on his hip. He begins tidying up after them.

"I did good?" Stefan asks, resting his head on his shoulder.

"You were very good," Damon praises. His brother beams under the very simple praise. "My good helper."

To keep him occupied and knock lunch out of the way, he passes Stefan a sippy cup to drink while he gathers the rest of their things. Just as he's tucked the blanket into the bag, Carol approaches him. Damon holds his breath, prepared to fight back over Stefan interrupting the meeting. Instead, she smiles.

"I was impressed with how you handled that." She nods to an unassuming Stefan. "Juggled parenthood and council business quite nicely."

Damon blinks, trying to avoid whiplash. "Pardon?"

"Just interesting to see is all. Don't see that side of you with anyone…except him."

He frowns, throwing the bag over his shoulder. "Isn't that just what good parents and guardians do?

A hint of sadness, perhaps regret, flashes across her eyes. Just as soon as it appears, it's vanished once more. She straightens up.

"Anyhow, Jeanette will send you the minutes, as usual."

Damon nods. "Of course."

After a double check to make sure everything is packed up, Damon walks out of the office.

"The rest of the day is ours, Bunny Boy," he says, kissing Stefan's temple. "What should we do with it?"

"Hmmm…park?"

"Definitely doable."

Stefan's eyes light up. "Can 'Lena come?"

Damon chuckles. "I'll call her mommy and see."