twenty-nine. you and i walk a fragile line
Caroline wasn't alone when you walked into The Mystic Grill. She was sitting with Elena as you made your way over. "I wasn't aware this was a party," you said.
"Hi, Y/N, thank you for coming," Caroline said, smiling slightly at you.
Elena glared at you. "What are you doing here?"
"I was invited," you said, sitting down. Caroline had texted you last night, asking you to meet her this morning. She had to leave town, she said, and she needed to see you before she left. You had really thought Caroline was your friend. You knew the bond she had with Elena spanned back years, and you knew it tore at her being divided in her friendships. You had never expected her to stand against Elena for you, but you had never thought she'd betray you like she had last night either.
Still, a lot had happened since her betrayal, and given what you knew now about the tree, you needed to play nice. For now at least.
You had slipped out from Klaus' arms this morning to meet her. He was still sleeping when you left, looking more peaceful than you'd seen him in a long time, especially considering their mother's disappearance and the existence of another white oak tree looming over your heads. There had been hundreds of mornings just like this one, waking up next to him, feeling the warmth of him engulfing you. Truthfully, you had never thought you'd have this again. You'd never allowed yourself to believe you could.
But something had broken the ice that had surrounded your heart for the last century. Maybe it was the invisible string tying you so tightly to this man, as it had for over a thousand years. Maybe it was almost losing him last night. Whatever it was, you were content in his arms, reminding you of the man you had fallen for in the first place. That was why you'd never let anything happen to him.
"Listen, Elena, while I have you here," you said. "Given everything that has happened lately, I've come to realize I was being a bit of a hypocrite in my anger towards you. You were simply trying to protect your family when you let Mikael compel me, even knowing it would mean the end of my life. So I'm willing to...look past it and move on if you are. Maybe we can find a way to coexist? Especially considering I'm stuck in this town a little longer."
"That sounds like a good plan. I think that..." Caroline started before Elena cut her off.
"Bonnie's mom died," Elena said coldly. "Your 'family' killed her. I can never forget that."
You wanted to laugh. Of course that was how she would see it. Not her actions that led to the problem. Not her little pact with Esther. Of course it was everyone else's fault. "I warned you not to get involved with Esther," you said. "You chose not to listen to me. Did you really think they would just willingly go gentle into the night and let their mother kill them without even putting up a fight? Why do Stefan and Damon or hell even Caroline get to live but they don't?"
"Because they're not raging psychopaths," Elena said.
"Really? How many people has Stefan killed, do you think?" You asked casually. "And let's not get started on Damon. Do you know when I met him, he was so out of control, the police thought a serial killer was on the loose in the streets of New York?"
"Guys, I really think we should maybe move onto a different topic," Caroline said. "Who wants coffee?"
"That's different," Elena defended, ignoring Caroline.
"Of course it is," you rolled your eyes. "It's always different when it's the people you love. But let me be perfectly clear here, Elena. My family didn't kill Bonnie's mom. Damon did. And he only did it to save your life. So instead of blaming everyone else, maybe look in the mirror. None of this would have happened if you hadn't listened to Esther."
"Don't you think I know that? I know it's all my fault, but at least I feel bad about it. You guys don't feel anything."
"This is you feeling bad? Putting all the blame on other people?" You rolled your eyes. "You know who else did that? Every other naive, selfish girl who has had that face."
"I'm nothing like Katherine," Elena said, looking offended.
"Hm, I would beg to differ," you said, sitting back. "Anyway, I've said what I needed to say. I extended a peace offering. Just remember that next time you try to blame us for something."
"I'm gonna go," she stood up. "I'll see you later, Caroline."
"Elena, wait..." Caroline started but Elena took off. "And she's gone."
"Hey, Y/N, can I get you anything?" Matt walked over to your table.
"No thanks, I'm not expecting to stay long," you said, crossing your arms and looking at Caroline as Matt nodded and walked away. "So...what do you want? I came alone so no Originals to ambush I'm afraid."
She looked at you apologetically. "Look, I know what I did hurt you. I have to leave to go help Bonnie with her mom now that she's...you know. But I didn't want to leave before seeing you. I'm so sorry, Y/N. I didn't want to trick you but..."
"But they're your friends," you said, not unkindly. In truth, you understood why Caroline had done what she had done. It was more the anger at yourself for believing she could be your friend too.
"You're my friend too," she said. "I didn't want to use you like that, I swear. Damon was supposed to keep you at the house."
"And that makes it okay? Sorry, Y/N, you weren't supposed to be there when we killed your best friend," you rolled your eyes.
"You can't deny that they have a reason to want them dead," she said.
"You have been on this planet for 17 years," you said after a moment. You had forgotten that she was still a child compared at you. They all were. She had not lived long enough to know better. "I have roamed this earth for over a thousand. And if there's one thing I learned, it's that not everything is as black and white as your friends seem to think. The Mikaelsons are my family, and I will always protect them."
"After everything Klaus has done to them, to you? Why are you still protecting him?" She asked. "I get the others are your family, but he's hurt you so many times."
"For the same reason Elena is protecting Stefan and Damon," you reminded her. "For the same reason you chose to help them last night. I love him. Look, I'm not mad, Caroline. You did what you had to do. You protected your own."
"Really?" she looked at you suspiciously.
"Really," you said. "I'm not mad. I just don't see the point in continuing this friendship anymore."
"Y/N, come on," she said. "I know I should have stayed out of it, but I couldn't say no."
"No, I know. Look, there's no hard feelings, really," you said. "I just don't need someone in my life I can't trust."
"You can trust me. I know what I did wasn't okay, but we're friends," she said. "It was a momentary lapse in judgment and will not happen again."
"You're right," you said, standing up. "It won't happen again. You should let your friends know that. They won't get that close again."
"Y/N, please."
"Goodbye, Caroline. Good luck with Bonnie's mom. I truly wish she hadn't been a casualty in all of this," you said, and walked away. She sighed behind you, but you didn't turn around.
You were honest. You weren't angry anymore. Kol was fine, and Esther had been stopped. But as you had told her, you'd been around the block a long time. You knew this wasn't the end of their attempts at killing Klaus and the others. And you knew they would not hesitate to enlist Caroline to use against you again. And given that there was a white oak tree that had somehow survived, you couldn't risk it. You wouldn't be the weak link that brought your family down.
• • •
The house was quiet when you returned. You thought maybe Klaus was still sleeping, but you heard something from his study and knocked on the door. "Come in," he called.
He was painting. You hadn't seen him paint in so long, and you walked over, sitting on his desk as you watched him. You had always loved watching him paint, even when he forced you into poses for hours to paint you. He was always relaxed when he painted, a respite from the world outside.
"How was your time with Caroline?" he asked, turning back to his canvas. It was a painting of the courtyard you'd had in New Orleans, with the twinkling lights and fountain. You smiled softly. You could almost hear the saxophone in the distance. You had spent many nights there, long after the partygoers and visitors left, basking in the glow of the lights in Klaus' arms.
"It was fine," you said, not wanting to discuss it. You walked over to him and wrapped your arms around his waist, pressing your cheek to his back. Truthfully, you just needed comfort at the moment. You'd really thought Caroline was your friend. She had been the only one to not betray you, until now. You had thought she understood why you couldn't betray Klaus and the others, despite your history. But you were wrong. You hadn't expected her to side with you against her friends, but you also never thought she'd use you the way she did.
It hadn't been easy making friends over the centuries that weren't Mikaelsons. When you were human, you had had lots of friends in the village. But once you left this place, once you were something more, you had come to realize the only people you could trust were your family. There were many that tried to use you to curry favor with Klaus. And those who even made it through the initial distrust were often sent away by Klaus. He always said it was for your protection. You were weaker than the other Mikaelsons, not being an Original yourself. You could be killed, and they'd made a lot of enemies. Sometimes, you wondered if you'd have been friends with Lexi if you had your memories still when you met her. You knew you wouldn't have been able to befriend Damon for sure. It turned out, in the end, once again, your family were the only ones that remained.
Klaus seemed to realize you were upset and put his palette down, grabbing your arm and pulling you in front of him. "What are you doing?" You asked as you faced the canvas now.
"I'm not doing anything," he said, putting the paint brush in your hands. "You're going to paint."
"Don't be ridiculous," you rolled your eyes. "You know I'm not good at painting."
"You don't have to be Picasso," Klaus said as he took your hand, guiding it to make strokes against the canvas. "You just have to do what you feel."
He guided your hand for a few strokes before letting go, his hands moving to hold your waist as you continued to paint. "There you go, love," he said, kissing your neck. "You're a natural."
"Hardly," you laughed. You had never had the talent he had when it came to painting. Often, he'd ask you to paint with him but you'd decline, instead choosing to watch him.
You fell into a comfortable silence as you added more color. You knew the image as well as he did, remembering the nights you'd spent in this very courtyard. It seemed like a lifetime ago, and honestly, you had to remind yourself that it was. New Orleans was a whole different life for you. For the first time since you'd left your village, your home wasn't just Niklaus. You had a true family there. And then it was taken from you.
"You know, I was worried you were going to leave," he said after a moment. "With Kol, I mean. I would have thought you would have relished in traveling the country with him."
"I told you, I would never leave you while you were under attack," you said.
"My little hero," you heard the smirk in his voice as he kissed your neck again. His fingers were gently rubbing your hips.
You let yourself revel in his touch. You'd missed it these years, even when you didn't remember him. Since you'd kissed him the other day, he'd been kissing you and touching you every chance you got. You were still hesitant to go further, however. You weren't as resentful of the fun he'd had after New Orleans with others as you were before, but it still made you uncomfortable. Even Lexi had told you to basically get over it when she came back as a ghost, but your heart held you back.
"I ruined your painting," you looked over the canvas.
"I have many more you can ruin if I can hold you in my arms as you do so," he turned you around in his arms, leaning in to press his lips against yours.
You sighed into the kiss, the brush falling out of your hands as you wrapped them around his neck. You thought the hesitance in your heart would soon be gone if he kept this up. Your phone rang suddenly, drawing your attention. He was slow to let you go as you stepped back and pulled your phone of your pocket, smirking at his pout as you answered it.
"Hello?"
"Hey, Y/N," Stefan said. "Are you um...are you busy?"
"That depends, Stefan," you said. "Are you just trying to lure me into another trap while you try to kill my family members?"
"Look, I'm sorry you keep getting dragged into the middle of this," he said. "But with Esther gone, I think I'm mature enough to admit when I've lost."
"You don't think I'll believe that again, do you?" You asked and Klaus rolled his eyes.
"No, I guess not but it's the truth," he said. "Listen, can you meet me at the Mystic Grill please? It's important."
You thought about it for a moment, weighing your options. On one hand, Daman had once again lied to you yesterday about wanting to be friends again and tried to kill Kol. On the other, you needed to find out what they knew about the tree. "Fine," you said. "I can be there in 15."
"Okay thanks, see you then," he said and hung up.
"Why do you need to meet him?" Klaus asked suspiciously.
"I guess I'll find out when I get there," you said.
He rolled his eyes again. "Very clever, Y/N. I meant, you know they'll just try to reel you back into their little club. And you'll just get hurt again. Besides," his thumb grazed your bottom lip. "I was rather enjoying our activities."
"I'm not getting reeled back into anything," you pushed his hand away. "After what happened yesterday, I think the line in the sand has become a canyon. But we need to find out what they know, Nik. We need to know if they know about the tree."
"Isn't that what Rebekah is investigating?" Klaus said. "Why am I keeping her around if you're just going to do her work for her?"
You rolled your eyes, smacking his chest. "You're keeping her around because she's your sister. And you could stand to be a little nicer to her. She's the only reason we know about the tree too."
"Yes, yes," he said placatingly, stepping back to pick up the brush you dropped. "You know, I forgot how annoying it is when you play peacekeeper between me and my siblings."
"That's because me they can stand," you smirked as you walked to the door. "I'll see you later."
• • •
Stefan met you outside the Grill. "Hey, thanks for coming," he said. "You weren't busy, were you?"
"Why am I here?" you skipped the formalities. Something about Stefan was off, but you weren't sure what. You wondered if he'd turned his humanity off. But that didn't make sense. He wouldn't have called you the way he did if he had turned it off again.
He sighed and looked at you. "Y/N, I know you're angry at us, but what did you expect? You knew we couldn't just let it go. You know why I couldn't. You were there all summer with me."
"Which is why I offered to find a middle ground, remember?" you reminded him. "About 5 minutes before you tried to stake my best friend?"
"I know," he said. "I'll be the first to admit we didn't really go about it the right way, but maybe you can admit that the family you're shacking up with aren't necessarily the best neighbors to have."
You sighed, trying to rein in your anger. After all, you were here for a reason. You needed information and you weren't going to get it by fighting with them. You crossed your arms and looked at him. "Fine," you said. "So what do you want?"
He sighed. "It's Damon."
You tensed. "What about him?"
"He misses you," Stefan said.
"I'm not gonna fall for that one again, Stefan," you rolled your eyes.
"Fine then how about he needs your help?" You looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "Look, whatever else happened, I know my brother," he said. "He's on a destructive path right now. Alaric is this close to being put away for all the murders in town. Elena and him had some kind of fight. He slept with Rebekah. And now he wants to 'brotherly bond'. He's spiraling."
His jaw was tightening, and you saw his eyes were not quite clear. And you realized what it was. "He's not the only one, is he?" you asked. He looked at you in slight surprise. "How long have you gone without human blood?"
He was quiet for a moment before sighing. "It's been...a while."
"Stefan," you said sadly. You knew how he felt. You had experienced this too. After Chicago. "You can't just quit cold turkey."
"I have to," he said. He looked at your sad eyes. "I'm fine, really."
"You're not," you said.
"I am," he insisted. "Besides, I didn't bring you here to talk about me. This is about Damon. He needs your help, Y/N. You said he's your best friend, and that he helped you. I know a lot has happened between us, but you pride yourself on loyalty, don't you? Are you going to turn your back on him now?"
You sighed, knowing you had to give in. You needed to get information, but when it came to Damon, it was more than that. It was a bond you'd built at your lowest. Stefan was right. You couldn't agree with what he was doing, but you still couldn't turn your back on him. "Where is he?"
• • •
You walked over to the bar where Damon was sipping on his drink. "You look terrible," you said, sitting next to him and gesturing at Matt for your own drink.
"Well, look who the busybody bro dragged in," Damon gave Stefan a look. "What are you doing here, Y/N?"
"I'm here to help you obviously."
"Why would I need your help?"
"Because I heard you're trying to solve a murder and I happen to be an excellent detective," you smirked.
"You're not too busy with the Mikaelsons House of Horrors?" he asked.
You rolled your eyes. "Clever," you said. "Look, regardless of what's going on, you're still my friend. And Alaric has been kind to me. So I want to help him too."
He looked at you for a moment before a smirk came to his lips. "The dream team back together," he said. "Alright, let's solve a murder."
"You guys can handle this on your own, can't you?" Stefan asked, looking uncomfortable.
"It wouldn't be the dream team if you didn't stay," Damon said. "Come on, bro. We're bonding."
You and Stefan both rolled your eyes as you took your drinks and sat at a table. Damon brought the whole bottle. Stefan began tapping the table with his fingers, but you knew he didn't want to talk about it so you respected that. "So catch me up."
"What do the medical examiner, Bill Forbes and Alaric Saltzman have in common?" Damon asked. He eyed Stefan's incessant tapping and unlike you, he didn't care to respect Stefan's privacy. "Come on, knock it off." Stefan chugged his drink down and poured himself another drink. "You know, quitting blood cold turkey after a ripper binge, probably not the best approach."
You saw Stefan's agitated look and rolled your eyes. "Knock it off, Damon."
"What? I'm just saying. Every time he's played this all or nothing game, he eventually leaves a trail of bodies. So I'm thinking now's a good time to pay our old friend moderation a visit," Damon said.
"That's actually not a bad idea," you said, looking at Stefan. "You could learn to control it. I could help you."
"They were all on the Founders' council," Stefan said, ignoring you both. "That's what they have in common."
You and Damon exchanged a look. You both knew ignoring the problem wasn't going to make it go away. "But why them, huh?" Damon chose to ask instead. "Brian Walters and Alaric weren't even founding family members. I mean, hey, if you gotta slaughter council members, go A-Listers. At least last time, they killed a Salvatore."
"Wait," you said. "Last time?"
"In 1912," Stefan said. "There was a string of murders in town. They targeted founding family members too. That's how we even knew. We can back for the funeral."
"Whose funeral?" Rebekah appeared beside you. She took a seat, smirking at you. "Y/N, you're looking much better now that you don't have my dastardly brother hanging off you."
You rolled your eyes with a smirk. "At least I didn't stoop so low as to sleep with Damon," you said.
"Hey!" Damon glared at you. "I'll have you know, I'm a catch."
"Please, it was a moment of weakness," Rebekah looked at him.
"Unless it's a moment of weakness you want to repeat, scram," Damon said. "You're not invited to this detectives meeting."
"Detectives?" Rebekah raised her eyebrows. "And what case would you be trying to solve?"
"The case of none of your business," Damon responded. You smacked him and he rolled his eyes. "Fine. We're just discussing the last time there was a psychopath running around killing founding family members. Poor Uncle Zachariah."
"Wait...1912," you said, doing the math in your head. "So Zachariah Salvatore was your nephew? You don't have any other siblings so unless you want to tell us something Stefan?"
"Our father knocked up one of the maids during the civil war," Damon said as Stefan rolled his eyes at you. "She had a son, and as far as everyone else knew, Stefan and I were dead. Family name had to go somewhere. Why not to our dear half brother?"
"And uh, your family owned the logging mills back then?" Rebekah asked and you tensed. Logging...
"You're full of a lot of questions," Damon looked at her suspiciously.
"I'm just researched the town history," Rebekah said easily. "Y/N and I grew up here, after all."
"You know you don't have to disguise your true motives," Damon smirked. "If you want another... moment of weakness, just ask for it."
"Not enough liquor in the world," Rebekah said.
"Don't make me vomit," you said simultaneously.
Stefan stood up abruptly. "You'll have to excuse my little brother," Damon said. "He's jonesing for some o-positive."
"I'm not jonesing," Stefan said.
"You definitely are," you added. He glared at you before sitting back down, pouring another glass.
"So they ever catch the killer?"
"Nope," Damon said. "Wrote it all off on vampires."
"Maybe it was a vampire," Rebekah said.
"Yeah," Stefan said. "Maybe it was a vampire, Damon."
"Don't think for a second you didn't cross my mind, too, brother. But these murders weren't your style, were they? Plus there were no other vampires circulating then."
"Well, there was one other vampire. Remember Sage?" Stefan said, and you exchanged a look with Rebekah. Because you knew a Sage too.
"Oh, right. Sage. Speaking of great sex," Damon said.
"Wait, this Sage, was she old? Like almost as old as us?" you asked.
"She may have been a bit advanced in her years, but she was a great lay," Damon said.
"I knew her unfortunately," Rebekah said.
"How did you know her?"
"She was obsessed with my brother Finn over 900 years ago," Rebekah said and you rolled your eyes.
"They were in love, Rebekah," you reminded her. "He turned her."
"Wait, you mean creepy, suicidal guy?" Damon asked. Stefan had begun hitting his hand against the table and Damon rolled his eyes. "You're doing it again."
Stefan stood up abruptly. "I need to uh I got to get out of here."
"Sure," Damon said easily. "First admit you're jonesing."
"Damon, I'm not gonna..." Stefan said.
Damon sped over to him. "Admit it."
"Damon, leave him alone," you rolled your eyes.
"What? I just want him to admit it," Damon said.
"Okay, fine," Stefan snapped. "I'm freaking out. I'm ready to eat the entire wait staff. Why do you need to hear me say it?"
"Because he's an ass," you said.
"No, I'm just feeling self-righteous too," Damon smirked. Stefan glared at him and shoved past him, storming out.
You sighed and stood. "I know you want to help, but if you're not careful, you're going to push your brother way."
"He'll get over it," Damon said as you followed behind Stefan.
He was pacing outside, his hands pulling at his hair as he breathed heavily. You walked over and put your hand on his shoulder. He looked at you sharply.
"Hey, hey, calm down, Stefan," you said softly. "It's okay. You're okay."
"I'm not," he said in frustration. "All I can think about is blood. It is taking everything in me to not walk in there and kill everyone."
You knew this. You had seen this all summer. You knew how hard he struggled with this side of him. You had before too. "But you're not," you said. "Listen, you can get through this. I'll help you."
"Why?" he looked at you skeptically. "Face it, Y/N. We're not on the same side anymore. Why do you even want to help me?"
"Because I know what you're going through," you said. You had gone through this early on in your undead life, and Klaus had helped you. You had gone through it after Chicago too. You wouldn't have made it without Damon that time. And you would do the same for Stefan. "Who cares about sides? You're still my friend. And we'll get through this, okay?"
"Lexi was always the only one who could help," Stefan said. "But she's dead. My brother killed her."
"Well, as her friend, I'm happy to step in," you said. He looked at you gratefully.
Damon and Rebekah approached. "So he doesn't want to drink human blood?"
"He has an eternally guilty conscience, my brother," Damon said.
"Funny. When I knew him in the twenties, he didn't have any conscience at all. It's one of the things I liked most about him. He can't possibly think he can survive without feeding," Rebekah said.
"You know we're standing right here, right?" You rolled your eyes.
"We didn't think Stefan could hear under all the hair," Damon said. "So determined to life your life pursuing one extreme or the other. No need to be so stubborn, brother."
"Knock it off, Damon," Stefan said.
A few feet away, a woman stepped out of her car and Damon rushed over to her. "Hello," he smirked.
She looked taken back. "Hi."
"This may seem very forward, but you're just so pretty," Damon said.
"Thank you," she blushed.
He stepped closer and looked into her eyes, compelling her. "Please don't scream. You're about to have a very, very bad night."
He bit into her neck and Stefan rushed over, pushing him off the girl. Rebekah grabbed her from fleeing.
"Sorry, brother. It's dinnertime. Have a bite," Damon said.
"What are you doing?" Stefan demanded.
"Tough love, Stefan," Damon said. "You're not gonna survive this cold turkey thing. You never do. It's time to get that monkey off your back."
"Damon, this is a really bad idea," you said.
"No, it's not," Damon said. "He needs this. The Lexi method does not work long term. He needs to learn control. Just like you did."
"No," Stefan said. You could see he was struggling as his eyes remained glued to the girl's neck.
"Feed," Damon ordered. "Or I'll let Rebekah have her way with her. You know she'll kill her."
"Oh I will," Rebekah said, her face vamping out.
"Then her blood'll be on your hands. Or you can just have a little drink, save her life. Come on, Stefan. You were the one that said you didn't want any more innocent life slaughtered. Save her. Go on. Have a bite. I snatched. You eat. I erase. Hell, I'll even heal her for you when it's over," Damon said.
"Why are you doing this? You know what blood does to me," Stefan said softly, though it did not hide the desperation in his voice.
"Cause you let it control you. You always have. I'm just here to help you learn how to fight it," Damon said.
"This is taking too long," Rebekah said, moving to bite the girl. But Stefan pushed her away, grabbing the girl himself. He looked as if he were at war with himself.
"Stefan, whatever happens, I'll pull you back," you said. You knew he would fall to Damon's manipulation, but the thing was, you weren't necessarily sure Damon's method was wrong. You loved Lexi and you knew she had helped him the best she could, but he had fallen off the wagon so many times. And he would continue to do so until he learned another way. Just like Klaus taught you so long ago, just like Damon forced you to remember in Chicago.
Stefan took a shuddering breath, meeting your eyes for a moment before nodding. He finally bit into her neck, drinking her blood.
"We got it from here," Damon said. You looked up to see him looking at Rebekah. "You can leave."
"Night's just getting started," she said.
"Scram. No one likes a lurker," Damon said.
Rebekah looked at you. After all, you were technically on a mission. You subtly nodded your head at her and she rolled her eyes before looking at Damon again. "You're a real ass, you know?"
"So I'm told," he said as she left.
Stefan was still drinking the girl's blood and you both knew he was entering dangerous territory. "Alright that's enough," Damon told him but he ignored him. "Come on. You're gonna bleed her dry. You're gonna drain her. Come on. I said that's enough."
Damon pushed him off and grabbed the girl. Stefan glared at him, looking ready to pounce.
"Hey, you wanna fight hunger or you wanna fight me?" Damon asked as he bit his wrist and made the girl drink. You walked over to Stefan as Damon healed and compelled her.
"It'll get easier," you told him, putting your hand on his arm.
"Will it?" Stefan breathed heavily.
"What are you doing?" Elena asked, approaching suddenly with Matt. Stefan turned abruptly, and Elena looked at the blood on his face in horror. "Stefan."
"Elena," he choked out.
"What are you guys doing?" Elena demanded, looking between you and Damon before her eyes settled on you. "This is your fault, isn't it? It's not bad enough about Bonnie's mom, now you want to ruin Stefan too?"
"Wait hang on, why do you assume this is my fault?" You questioned.
"Because your boyfriend did this to him in the first place," she snapped at you.
"No, actually, your carbon copy did this to him," you rolled your eyes. "She's the one that changed him. He was a Ripper long before Klaus met him. Just so we can keep the facts straight, though I know you don't actually care about those."
"Okay let's maybe retract our claws," Damon said. You crossed your arms, and glared at him. "Relax, Elena. Just a little experiment. There's no need to make this more dramatic than it needs to be."
"Elena, let's just go," Matt pulled at her arm. "Elena!"
She glared at you one more time before she let Matt pull her away. Stefan looked at Damon with a look of contempt before he turned and walked away.
"So, that's gonna take a little while," Damon said.
"You think?" You rolled your eyes. "You're an idiot."
"Hey, regardless of what Elena thinks, you know I'm right about this," Damon defended. "He needs to learn control."
"Do you really think this is the best way to do it?" you asked.
"It worked with you, didn't it?" he asked.
"Stefan and I are not the same," you said. "I had 900 years of control before Chicago. He has never had control."
"Yeah well it's never too late to learn," Damon said.
You looked at him closely. You could hear something in his voice but you weren't sure what it was. "Tell me why this is so important to you," you said.
"You mean besides the fact that he's my brother?"
You gave him a pointed look. "He's been your brother this whole time. It never seemed to matter to you before."
He sighed. "I walked away last time."
"What?"
"The end of that story in 1912? I had a chance to help him then. I watched him go over the edge and I walked away," he said. "I can't walk away again."
"Why?"
"Because right now, he's all I've got," he said softly. He looked over at you. "We don't want to admit it, but something's changed between us. Even if I still look at you as my best friend, when it comes down to it, you're on Team Mikaelson. Go ahead, deny it."
You looked at him sadly, because he was right. You couldn't deny it. Something had changed between you. Damon had been there for you in a time when you had no one, when you were ready to walk into the sun without your ring and just give up. He had pulled you back from the brink. And here you were, trying to exploit him for information. When had it come to that? When had you become that? You had always prided yourself on your loyalty, and so far, you had justified your loyalty to your family to dig the line between you and Damon deeper. When had you fallen so far away from your own morals?
"I still look at you as my best friend too," you said softly. "But you're right. I can't trust you, not like before. And you shouldn't trust me."
He smiled at you tightly, the admission finally hanging between you. "I guess we finally agree on something."
You nodded. You felt the loss of a friendship you cherished and it cut you deep. But it was true. You were on different sides now. And regardless of the moral conflict happening in your heart, you knew you would still do what you had to do to keep your family safe.
• • •
Hey! Thanks for reading! So sorry for the delayed update. I've been so busy this month with work I have had no time to write! Hope you liked it! I should be quicker again from now on!