•Loyal• Matt Donovan

||11||

"No luck?" Brooklyn asked worriedly.

"Nope. Hey Care. It's me, Matt. Listen, as soon as you get this, call me,okay? It's really important. Come to the boarding house. Okay? See you soon." Matt hung up.

"Kai has a proposal, but I think he may be after the twins." Brooklyn explained.

Matt didn't respond, instead he sped up. "Matt, be careful. Remember that you're still human." Brooklyn said, gripping her arm rest tighter.

"I've survived worse-" Matt snapped and cut himself off before he said anything he would regret later.

"From my brother, right? Isn't that what you were going to say Matt?"

"Brooklyn, I know you know Damon isn't a saint." Matt retorted.

"Everyone deserves a second chance, Matt! Hasn't anyone ever given you a second chance even when you didn't deserve it?" Brooklyn's voice rose considerably.

Matt's retort froze on his lips.

"Yeah, Matt. I know Damon has killed people. I know that better than anyone. I know Damon has done some things that weren't moral and right! But I don't bring it up in front of him... and you know why, Matt? Because he doesn't like it anymore than we do. When we bring it up, it makes him believe we don't believe he can change."

Mattpulled up to the boarding house at the end of her speech, and shepromptly opened her door and walked determinedly toward the frontdoor.

Matt sighed and opened his door, following her. "Brooklyn, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to say that. I know you love your brother, and I'm so glad that you got here before he turned it off, I really am. It's just... he killed my sister, okay? Well... technically Stefan killed my sister- but Damon turned her,  she couldn't control herself, and she was going to kill Elena and Jeremy. In the heat of the moment, I can only think about what he did to her." Matt started crying. "Every time something like this happens, Damon always has somethingto do with it- and he never has to face the consequences. SHE WAS ONLY SIXTEEN!" He yelled. "SHE DIDN'T DESERVE THIS LIFE! SHE SHOULD STILL BE HERE!" More tears streamed down his face.

Brooklyn gathered him into her arms as he fell apart. He fell to his knees, and she went with him. He was grieving. He hadn't had time to grieve over Elena and his sister, and she was sure that it wasn't just them he was grieving for.

"Matt, you're still grieving." She said sympathetically, running her fingers through his hair as a comforting gesture.

He sobbed into her shoulder. "Elena was one of my best friends. She always understood me. She was always there for me." He sobbed."Then she was taken from me. She was ripped from my hands. And it was all Kai's fault!" Matt screamed.

Brooklyn's sensitive ears protested, but she held him closer, a few of her own tears slid down her cheeks.

They sat there in silence, without moving until Matt's phone buzzed a few feet away from them.

Brooklyn reached for his phone, picking it up and answering it without letting go of Matt. "Hello?" Brooklyn asked.

"Brooklyn? This is Caroline."

"Caroline? I'm so glad you called. Are you okay?" Brooklyn asked continuing to rub circles on Matt's back as he calmed down.

"Yeah. I'm fine... is that Matt crying?" She asked.

"Um...yeah... he's had a rough day." Brooklyn explained.

"Tell him I'm sorry I missed his calls. I was at the florist and there is no service in there. I'm on my way to the boarding house."Caroline said.