Stefan's POV;

I opened my eyes to feel sweat dripping from my forehead as I looked around and realised I was in the cell where I had locked Damon before. I was in his place, in this cell. I looked to the right and saw my past playback infront of my eyes...

Flashback, 1864, Mystic Falls, Virginia; Stefan's POV;

I stood with Damon and watched from the bushes as Jonathan Gilbert gathered the founding family council members around his compass, whilst two guards locked Katherine away into a cage attatched to one of the carriages.

Jonathan Gilbert looked from Katherine to the next supernatural species being dragged in, George Lockwood. He helped put him into the next cage and said "We have to get to the church, they're waiting." I knew we didn't have long to save Katherine so I thought quickly and said to Damon "Circle around that way. I'll distract them. Go."

I watched as Damon ran away closer to Katherine's cage as I stepped out from the shadows and called "Over here! There's another one, help me!" I started to run away from them as the Council followed my lead, believing I had actually found one.

I ran round and gave them the slip, heading back to Katherine's cage where my brother would be. I ran out from the trees and found Damon opening the cage then lifting Katherine out of it and onto the floor. I kneeled beside him and muttered "We don't have long."

I started to help him take off the ropes, which were tying Katherine's hands together. Damon leaned over her and whispered softly "We're gonna get you out of here." I looked at Damon and knew he loved her, it showed in his eyes. I wasn't saving Katherine for me, I was saving her for Damon.

The sound of voices came closer and closer as I muttered "Damon, hurry." He worked quickly and pulled the mask off of Katherine's face when suddenley a gunshot echoed through the night air, and everything went by slowly.

I looked up in panic to Damon and watched him fall onto his back in agony. I gasped and ran over to him, kneeling by his side as he grunted in pain. I looked at his bloody wound and whispered "No. No, Damon, no." I touched his cheek and tried to tell him to hold on but words wouldn't escape my mouth.

As my tears slid down my cheeks and onto Damon's face I watched in upset as my big brother let out a gasp then stared at the stars, not moving a muscle. He was dead. He was gone.

I shook in anger before getting myself off of the floor and grabbing the nearest gun I could find, but before I could even fire, another gunshot rippled through the air. Pain burst through me and into my body as I staggered sideways then fell to the floor, clutching at my torso which was leaking blood. I let out a grunt of pain and looked at my brother, lying there with his eyes open, dead and gone.

Present Day, Mystic Falls, Virginia;

Stefan's POV;

 I breathed heavily and stared ahead as the memory faded into reality. Damon stood infront of me and called "Stefan, Stefan.." I was confused to why I was still in 1864 with my past and my memories when my brothers face stared back at me from the cell.

I looked at Katherine's body ahead as she turned to me and whispered in unison with Elena in the present "I love you Stefan." I felt Elena's hand stroke my shoulder as her face then faded into Katherine's, staring at me from across the ground as I spent my last few minutes as human.

I watched the founding family council members hurry over and lift Katherine back into the cage. And as Damon walked Elena out of the cell, he locked the door at the same time as Jonathan Gilbert shutting the door of Katherine's cage.

I watched as both Katherine from my flashback and Elena from the present held on to the bars of the cage and the cell door. I rolled over onto my side, away from my past and present, away from everything.

Ally's POV;

I watched Stefan as he tossed and turned on his bed, staring at the walls in a daze, like he was hallucinating. I pulled away from the bars as Elena still stood there watching him with upset. I slid down the wall and sat on the floor as Damon walked into the narrow hallway and asked "How're you two holding up?"

Elena kept her eyes on Stefan as she answered "It's so hard to see him locked up like this." Damon muttered with a smirk "You're the one who locked him up." I looked up at him and mumbled "You helped."

Damon shrugged and said "I couldn't have him running around chewing on people while the town was looking for vampires, now could I?" I sighed and whispered with disappointment "It had nothing to do with you actually caring about him."

Damon smirked and muttered "Your thing, not mine." He strolled out of the room as I shook my head and let out a small shaky laugh. This was going to be a terrible stressful day, I could feel it.

Stefan's POV;

My mind was switching from reality to my memories, showing me flashbacks from my past. And as there was nothing else I could do to make them go away, I had to watch them playback and remind me of the bad decisions I made, and the terrible things I had done.

Flashback, 1864, Mystic Falls, Virginia; Stefan's POV;

I bolted upright and found myself in a completely different enviroment, by the old quarry.

I opened the buttons on my bloody shirt to find the bullet wound on my chest had completely healed, leaving just dry blood sitting on my skin. How? I trailed my fingers across the healed skin then noticed an odd looking ring sitting on one of the fingers of my right hand. I brought my hand to my face and examined the weird ring.

A female voice said from behind me "Katherine had me make that for you weeks ago." I turned around and saw Emily, Katherine's handmaid, walk slowly over to me. I asked in confusion "Where am I?" She answered softly "The Quarry, just north of town. My brother and I brought you here last night. We found you dead in the woods."

I looked at her calm expression and asked "Where's Damon?" She looked straight ahead, over my shoulder and towards the lake. I followed her gaze and spotted my brother sitting by the lake, staring at it silently. I frowned in confusion and asked "Am I.. Am I a..?" Emily shook her head and muttered "Not yet. You're in transition."

I shook my head and mumbled "But how? I..." Emily stated "You had Katherine's blood in your system before you died." This hadn't made sense to me, I didn't remember doing that, I had no memory of it at all. I muttered "No. I never.." Emily said calmly "She's been compelling you to drink it for weeks, Stefan."

I furrowed my eyebrows and looked at my wound again, feeling betrayed by Katherine. I asked "And Damon?" Emily shook her head and muttered "No compulsion was necessary. He drank from her willingly." I shook my head in disgust at the thought of having someone elses blood in my mouth, it made me feel physically nauseous.

I got up and out of the old shack as I walked over to my brother, watching him as he stared at the water, stared into nothing.

Damon mumbled lifelessly "I woke up last night, I didn't know where I was. I went to the church and I watched them drag her inside. Then they set fire to it. And the whole church went up into flames. They killed her Stefan, she's gone."

I listened to his voice break on the last few words as he blinked the tears away from his eyes and looked back at the water again. I felt a little sorrow for the loss of Katherine but I felt more upset for my brother, he was broken.

Present Day, Mystic Falls, Virginia;

Ally's POV;

I got up from the floor and asked Elena "I'm going to go home, get some clothes and stuff, you coming?" She looked slowly away from Stefan and nodded. I walked out of the narrow hallway and back up into the living room with Elena behind me.

Damon stood there fiddling with a weird device in his hands as I asked "What is that?" Damon turned the object over in his hands and answered "Pearl gave it to me, a so called gift of apology. It was Jonathan Gilbert's, she stole it, now she's given it to me."

I frowned in confusion and asked "What does it do?" He shrugged and mumbled "I have no idea, whatever it is, it doesn't work." Elena asked "Pearl didn't say anything else about it?" Damon answered "She thought she was stealing his vampire compass, but it was a pocket watch. That Jonathan Gilbert was a crazy scientist. Have you spoken to your Uncle John lately?"

Elena started packing her bag as she mumbled "No, i've been avoiding him, actually." I added with a smirk "And because we were here all night, she didn't have to suffer and put up with John last night." Elena smiled at me and giggled.

Damon asked "So, you'll be here again tonight?" I asked back "Is that a problem?" He turned to me in his cute dark blue sweater and teased with a smirk "Yes. You're a complete nuisance." I scowled at him as he chuckled and turned back to the device. I mumbled "Ha-ha. See you later."

I realised I was still wearing Damon's blazer so I quickly took it off and placed it on the sofa before following Elena out of the door and to her car.

When we got to Elena's I got out of her car and gave her a hug before saying "I'll just grab a few things then be right back." She nodded with a smile before walking into her house as I walked down to mine. I opened the door and walked inside, seeing my dad wasn't home again.

I walked straight upstairs and began to replace clothes from my bag with new clothes, putting the old ones into the laundry basket. Whilst I was packing I decided to call Damon, after a few rings he answered "What?"

I smirked and muttered "I'm just grabbing some clothes, and then i'll be right over. How's Stefan?" He mumbled down the phone "Extra broody. Hold on." After a few moments he returned and said "He won't eat anything." I sighed and replied "He has to eat, what's his favourite... kind of, urm.."

Damon teased "Kind of what?" I rolled my eyes at the phone and said quietly "Type of animal blood that he prefers?" Damon teased "Ew. Gross."

I smirked and muttered "Ha-ha. Your teasing doesn't help." Damon mumbled "It helps me. Now, hurry up. I can't baby-sit all night. I have things to do." I snorted and muttered under my breath "I would say 'drop dead' but.." He teased "Ha-ha. Stefan likes... Puppy blood... little golden retriever puppies with cute, fluffy ears. That's his favourite." I let out a small laugh and mumbled "Jerk."

He started to chuckle into the phone as I just rolled my eyes and hung up on him, chucking the last piece of clothing into my bag, I headed downstairs and out of the door to Elena's.

When I got there she was waiting outside the front with a smile, we got into her car and drove back to the boarding house.

Stefan's POV;

I looked up from the floor and at the bottle of blood Damon had left for me, it was torture, I wanted it, I needed it, but I never moved from my spot. I knew if I did move and drink the blood, it would only make me a monster again. I looked back down at the floor and felt another flashback play before my eyes.

Flashback, 1864, Mystic Falls, Virginia; Stefan's POV;

I walked back to the lake with a bucket of water and a cloth to rinse the dry blood off of our chests and out of our clothes. I sat down beside Damon and started to rinse my shirt, scrubbing the dry blood out of it as Damon did the same.

I said calmly "I bet Jonathan Gilbert's told father by now. Wonder how he took the news that we're dead." Damon muttered in anger "As if he cared, he betrayed us." I argued in father's defence "He thought he was protecting us, Damon. He thought he was protecting this town."

Damon flinched and hissed "God. This sun hurts my eyes." I mumbled nervously "It's part of it." Damon looked at me, his eyes full of worry. I continued "The muscle aches, the sick feeling... Emily says it's our bodies pushing us to feed, to complete the transition."

Damon scrubbed his arms and muttered confidently "That's not gonna happen." I felt my stomach wrench at my brothers words, he wanted to die? I asked with concern "Is that your choice then? To die instead?" He looked up from his arms and asked "Isn't it yours?"

I looked at the water and asked myself that, did I want to die? Noone wanted to die. If you had the opportunity to live you would take it, right? I know I would. But if the only way you could continue living is drinking an innocent persons blood and living the rest of your life with a hunger that could drive you insane, would you take that risk?

I could see where my brother was coming from, and because my brother has chosen to die, I knew I would follow him. I couldn't bring myself to feed on anyone so I had chosen death over immortality.

Damon mumbled "This was all to be with Katherine, now she's gone. I want it over." He started to put on his shirt as I looked in his eyes and nodded, knowing my final decision, was to follow my brother.

Present Day, Mystic Falls, Virginia;

Ally's POV;

Once we were at the boarding house and in their living room I turned to Elena and Damon and said "I'm gonna go see how Stefan's doing." Elena exhaled slowly and nodded whilst Damon turned around with his glass of bourbon and muttered "Be careful." I nodded with a smirk before walking down to the basement and outside of Stefan's cell door.

I opened the door and stepped inside it, still keeping my distance and leaning against the door. He looked up at me and snapped "You shouldn't be in here." I shrugged and mumbled "I know, but Damon told me you were supposed to drink this, you need it Stefan, can't live without it."

He looked back down at the floor and growled "I don't want to survive." I frowned and whispered "What? No, don't say that." Stefan looked up at me and growled "You shouldn't be here, I could seriously hurt you, just get out of here." I snorted and muttered "You don't scare me."

I walked over to him and held the bottle of blood by his face, I said softly "Drink." He smacked the bottle from my hand and got up, pinging me against the wall he yelled in anger "I said get out!!" I whimpered as his grasp tightened around my neck.

He frowned and pulled away from me, pacing in the cell before walking over to the corner and sitting in it. My breathing was heavy and my hands were shaking, I know I said he didn't scare me but after that he did.

I opened the door and locked it behind me before walking upstairs and into the living room. I slumped down onto the sofa and ran a shaky hand through my hair. Damon sat opposite me and asked "What did he say?" I shook my head and let my breathing pace get to normal.

Elena sat beside me and asked "What did he do?" I shook my head and whispered "Just don't go into his cell alone, Elena." Damon frowned in confusion and asked stubbornly "What did he do, Ally?" I mumbled with fright "He just got mad and snapped at me."

Damon downed his bourbon and muttered "Yeah, he does that." I scowled at him as he held his hands up in a mock surrender and said "Just trying to lighten up the mood." Elena looked from me to Damon and snapped "Try less." He rolled his eyes and mumbled "Fine, fine."

Elena stroked my arm then said "I'm gonna try to get him to drink." I shook my head and grabbed her arm, she couldn't go down there, he could hurt her. I know he didn't hurt me but if someone pushed him any further he could snap and kill her.

Elena nodded reassuringly and whispered "I'll be fine." I looked in her eyes for a moment then slowly released her arm. I watched her walk down the basement stairs then I looked at Damon and asked "You got anything strong?"

He raised an eyebrow and teased "Me? An alcohol lover? Noooo." I smirked as he hopped off of the sofa and zoomed over to the alcohol cabinet. He pulled out a bottle of vodka and poured me a glass before walking over and handing it to me. I smiled and whispered "Thanks." He smirked and answered "No problem."

He sat beside me and watched as I drank it all down and flinched at the strongness of it. Damon smirked and asked "Too strong?" I shook my head and mumbled with a grin "Nope." He teased "Course it isn't."

I looked at him and mumbled "Stefan said he didn't want to survive this." Damon's expression was indescribable, I couldn't put my finger on it. There was disbelief, upset, anger, even a hint that showed he didn't wanna care but he did.

He said calmly "He's just being dramatic, he's not gonna starve himself." I argued "Why would he say that then?" Damon shrugged and answered "He feels bad about hurting that girl. It's your typical Stefan martyr stuff. It will pass." I turned to him and asked "Will it?" Damon nodded, so sure of himself.

I muttered "You seem so sure but when I asked you if Stefan was going to be ok you said eventually and he still isn't ok, he's worse." Damon corrected with a smirk "Technically I said he would be one way or another, not implying for better or worse."

I sighed and looked at the fire as Damon asked "Look, are you two gonna be ok here if I run out? I have to go to an errand with the teacher." I frowned in confusion and asked "The teacher? Alaric? Are you two friends now?" He mumbled quickly "I don't have any friends, Ally."

He got up and walked over to grab his leather jacket as I whispered "You do."

He turned around and said "You should, um, stay up here. You definitley shouldn't be down there by yourself." He put on his usual dashing smirk as I muttered "I'll be fine." He raised an eyebrow and said "You know.. You're both very trusting of him, given the circumstances."

He walked over to the door as I muttered "So are you, otherwise you wouldn't be leaving." He smiled and said softly "Won't be long." He turned to the door and walked out of it as I let out a sigh and looked at the flames crackling amongst the fireplace.

Stefan's POV;

I sat on the dusty floor and stared at it, thinking of nothing, feeling nothing but pain. As Elena watched me from the cell door, I muttered "You know, Damon hasn't fed me vervain in a while. I could be at those bars in a flash, and you'd be dead." Elena muttered confidently "Yeah, you could. But you won't."

I loved how much faith she had in me, it made me want to get up and keep going, she made me want to keep fighting, I loved her with everything in me, that's why I had to give up, the next time I hurt someone it could be her. It would kill me if I hurt her.

I said to her softly "Please just go away, I don't want you here." She entered anyway and sat beside me, I sighed and felt my heartbeat race, just hearing hers beat so fast and close to me, could send me off the edge.

She reached out and stroked my arm as she whispered "Talk to me, Stefan. Why're you doing this?" I buried my head in my hands and answered honestly "I'm making the decision I should have made years ago."

Elena frowned in confusion and asked "What are you talking about?" I looked up and mumbled quietly "You have to feed to complete the transition." Elena nodded and whispered "I know that." I looked at Elena and said "It was a choice I shouldn't have made."

I stared ahead at the wall and saw that memory come crawling back to me, I explained to Elena what happened as it replayed before my eyes.

Flashback, 1864, Mystic Falls, Virginia; Stefan's POV;

It was nighttime, dark, cold, silent. I walked through the forest and out from the trees, towards my old home, the Salvatore Mansion. I hadn't been here since me and Damon's death.

I had come to prove that not all vampires are evil, and to also to say goodbye. I was getting weaker as the time went by and as I stumbled towards the Salvatore Mansion I knew I was slowly dying. I came to a stop at the bottom of the porch steps and took a deep breath before walking up the stairs and into the Mansion.

It looked exactly the same, smelt exactly the same, it was exactly the same. It was as if Damon and I had never left... died.

I walked straight to where I knew father was, his study. I stood by the open door and watched him from the frame, as he wrote by his desk, as always. He looked up slowly and then saw me. He shot upright from his desk and muttered in horror "Dear god."

I mumbled in disappointment "Even in our death, you only feel shame?" My father said in disgust "You're one of them now." I shook my head and whispered "No. Father, i've come to say goodbye." Father stated "I watched you die." I gulped and asked "You were there when we were shot?" Father answered with no guilt "I pulled the trigger myself."

I looked at his face, showing no signs of love or guilt, only disgust. I felt my stomach wrench at his words, unable to come to terms with the fact he was the one who killed Damon and I.

Vampires weren't the real monsters, it was the council, my father.

I asked with disbelief and upset "You killed your own sons?" Father argued "You were both dead to me the moment you sided with the vampires. I only thank god that your mother isn't alive to see the disgrace you've become."

I shook my head and whimpered "I haven't turned yet, I don't want to. I'm going to let myself die, father. Please." He snapped angrily "Yes you're." He pulled out a stick and snapped it over his leg before looking at me with crazy eyes.

I gaped and stepped back but he approached me, wanting to drive a stake through my heart. When he had reached me I instinctively threw him away from me and into the wall, watching him fall to the floor and groan in pain, as he clutched at the wood that had rebounded into his own body.

I looked at my hands in shock before running over to my injured father and pleading "Father, I didn't mean to." He growled "Get away from me." I whispered in upset "Let me help you." I pulled the wood from out of his stomach and froze.

It was on my hands, his blood that glistened and felt soft underneath my fingers, the smell was incredible.

I looked at my fingers soaked in his blood and lifted it slowly to my lips. My body knew it needed this blood, so I didn't stop myself. I moved my fathers hand away from his bleeding wound and gathered more blood on my hands before pulling my fingers to my lips and letting it come in contact with my tongue.

My tongue started to sizzle with warmth and hunger as I groaned in pain with the sharp fangs growing from my normal teeth. I whispered in horror "What's happening to me?"

It was done. I had completed the transition.

Present Day, Mystic Falls, Virginia;

Ally's POV;

After checking that Elena was ok and still alive down in the basement, I walked back up into the living room and poured myself another glass of vodka before lying on the sofa infront of the fire and writing in my diary, after leaving it empty for so long.

Dear Diary, it's been a while since i've wrote but there's been so much drama going on it's actually unbelievable, i've never got the chance to sit down and write about my day because they've always had something going on in them. But now i'm sitting here infront of the fire at the boarding house and I couldn't feel more at ease. This is the first time in a while that i've just sat down and relaxed. I've still got things on my mind ofcourse, like my constant worrying about Stefan, then there's Damon. He's hard to explain. I won't go into details on how gorgeous he is but basically, I love him. I never thought i'd get past the bad things he's done but in the back of my mind and in my heart I had always felt something for him. He was just so..

The door then slammed shut from behind me. I shot upright and gasped, clapping my journal shut between my hands and hugging it close to my chest. 

Stefan's POV;

I looked at Elena and asked in disgust with myself "How can you even look at me right now?" Elena stroked my arm and whispered softly "You need to be able to talk about these things, Stefan. I need to hear them. Come upstairs. We can talk about it more, and we'll keep talking, as long as you need."

I looked at her and asked with worry "You're so sure i'm ready?" She nodded and said "And when you feel the same way.. i'll be upstairs." She reached into her pocket and pulled out my ring, placing it next to me as she got up and walked out of the cell, leaving the door wide open.

I looked at my hands and knew where I had to go, where this all began, the Quarry. I got up from the floor and zoomed out of the boarding house, not looking back, and leaving behind the one thing that kept me from burning in the sunlight... my ring. 

Ally's POV;

Damon walked over and teased with a smirk "Ugh. God. You're still here?" I grinned and looked at him, glad he was back. I answered with the same smirk "Were you expecting anything else?" He mumbled "No." He lifted my legs up and sat underneath them before placing them in his lap.

I smiled and asked "So how was the 'errand'?" He patted my leg and answered "Futile. Although, I think I witnessed the teacher having an existential crisis." He looked up at me and asked "Has Stefan eaten yet?" I watched Damon trace his finger along my leg as I answered "I thought you didn't care." Damon shrugged and mumbled "Chalk it up to morbid curiousity."

I smirked and muttered "I think he's getting there, but he's got alot of guilt that he has to deal with." Elena's voice added as she walked into the room "And it doesn't help that you've spent the last 145 years punishing him for Katherine getting caught." Damon looked up at Elena and snapped "So this is my fault now?" I shook my head and said reassuringly "No, it's noone's fault, Damon."

Elena added again "I'm just... saying that you're not exactly innocent. You've made it your lifes mission to make him miserable." Damon grinded his teeth together before lifting my legs up again and getting off of the sofa, letting my legs back down.

He asked Elena with anger "Let me ask you a question. In all this important soul-searching and cleansing of the demons of Stefan's past, did you ever manage to get the rest of the story?" I frowned in confusion as Elena mumbled with guilt "He said there was more." Damon bit his tongue then snapped "Yeah. That's an understatement."

He turned away and went to walk upstairs when I quickly got off of the sofa and called "Damon!" I grabbed his arm and turned him to face me, and as he looked at me I asked "Tell me?" He gulped and nodded, walking back with me to the sofa.

I laid down again and felt Damon lift my legs up and get into the same position as earlier, my legs in his lap, his hands on my legs. He looked at me as I gave him a reassuring nod. He sighed and explained the rest of the story, staring into the fire like he was re-living it... 

Flashback, 1864, Mystic Falls, Virginia; Damon's POV;

I sat by the Quarry with my eyes closed, letting the light from the moon hit my eyelids as I felt myself slowly drifting away. I was getting weaker, which showed me I was dying, and in the pit of my stomach, I couldn't be happier with the thought of leaving. I would finally be with Katherine.

A rustling sound occured from behind me as I slowly turned towards the sound and saw my brother walking towards me with a girl close behind him. I asked nervously "What are you doing? Who is that?" Stefan smiled at me, with his eyes having a different light to them, life. He looked creepy.

He answered softly "I brought her for you, she's a gift." He looked directly into her eyes and ordered "Take a seat, please." The girl lowered slowly down onto the tree stump as I frowned in confusion and worry for my brother and asked "What have you done, Stefan?"

He smiled and answered with excitement "Damon, i've been to see father. He came at me, I didn't know my own strength. There was blood everywhere, he was dying and the blood was too strong, I needed it, I had to have it."

I stated in my hoarse voice "You fed." I looked at him with disgust as he continued "Yes. And it is incredible. My body is exploding with power, Damon." I looked at the floor and moaned "No."

I couldn't believe my brother had completed the transition, he had fed, he was a vampire.

I flinched at my own thoughts as Stefan continued to boast "I can hear things from far away. I can see through the darkness. I can move, like it's magic. And the guilt, the pain... Damon, I can turn it off like a switch. Katherine was right, it's a whole 'nother world out there, Damon."

He lifted my chin up with his hand as I picked myself up from the floor, using the last bit of strength I had as I whispered "Katherine's dead, Stefan. There's no world without her." I went to walk away when Stefan pulled me back and grabbed my face, shaking it in his hands as he said "No. You can turn that off too, you don't have to feel that pain anymore." I pushed his arms weakly and whispered "I don't want it."

He grabbed my shoulders again and snapped "You're weak. You'll be dead soon, you need this. You'll die." I looked at his eyes full of sadness and whispered with pain "No. I can't." He gestured for the girl to join us, she got up and walked slowly over before coming to a stop beside him.

I struggled in his grasp as he looked at me and suddenly grew fangs and his eyes became red, I gasped and flinched away from him as he turned to the girl and bit her neck. I watched in horror as my brother fed from the innocent girl. He pulled away with her blood around his mouth as I then looked at the the blood pouring from the girls neck.

It was all I could see. It was sliding down her collarbone, begging for me to taste it.

Stefan grabbed my face and whispered "I won't let you die." I muttered in anger "No, I can't." Stefan's grip only got tighter as he said "Don't fight it. We can do this, together." He gave me a reassuring nod before pushing the girl closer to us both.

Stefan placed one of his hands on the nape of my neck and pushed me closer to her, when I finally gave in and pressed my lips to her bleeding neck. At first I kissed it and licked the wound but as I pulled away I wanted more, I bit into her neck and feasted on her blood as my brother watched with a smug look on his face.

Present Day, Mystic Falls, Virginia;

Ally's POV;

As Damon traced his fingers across my legs again he muttered "From the moment Stefan had his first taste of human blood, he was a different person. I suppose I should thank him. It's been a hell of a ride."

Damon let out a small laugh as I frowned in sympathy for him, his story was so tragic and sad. I couldn't bring myself to believe that Stefan would do such a thing, forcing his brother into immortality. I felt so bad for Damon. For once, I had actually come to an understanding with why Damon hated Stefan, I understood him.

Elena stood with her arms crossed, still taking in the story. She whispered to herself "Oh my god. He said he wanted to die, that's why he won't feed. Now I understand why, but.." Damon shrugged and said "His choice. If he's stupid enough to make it, so be it."

I took my legs from out of his lap and snapped "Don't do that. Ok? Don't pretend like you don't care." Elena walked out of the room and down into the basement again to check on Stefan as I got up from the sofa and walked over to Damon's alcohol cabinet.

I poured myself a glass of bourbon and drank it down as Elena then ran into the room and whispered "He's gone!"

I spun around in shock as Elena thought for a moment then said "I know where he is." I frowned in confusion and asked "Where?" She went to answer but Damon got there before her "By the lake, where it all began."

I went to grab my jacket but Elena put a hand on my shoulder and whispered "I think it's better if I just go, his heads in a mess right now." I slowly nodded and gave her a hug before she grabbed her coat and keys then walked out of the front door.

I walked over to Damon's alcohol again when Damon called "You dropped this." I turned to him and saw a book in his hand.

My journal.

I gasped and ran over, trying to snatch it from his hands, he raised it higher and teased "Can't reach? Poor tiny Ally." I felt my cheeks heat up and knew if he did read my journal, my life would be over. I would be too embarassed to even look at him.

I knew then what I had to do, I had to use my amazing acting skills to persuade him.

I frowned and whispered "Please hand it over, it's got private stuff in there. Stuff I write about, my thoughts, my parents, how much I miss them." I pretended to sniffle back tears as his smirk faded away and his raised arm lowered, placing the journal in my cupped hands.

I gave him a small smile and whispered "Thanks." He smiled back at me as I turned around and walked back to his alcohol cabinet.

Sucker.

I smirked to myself as I went to reach for another drink, Damon appeared beside me, his hand on mine, his voice whispered by my ear "I think you've had enough, don'tcha think?" I shivered and turned to him as I raised my eyebrow and asked "Hypocritical much?" He smirked and mumbled "Nope. Just incredibly hot." I rolled my eyes and grabbed the nearest bottle of alcohol before walking over and sitting on the sofa.

Damon walked over and sat next to me, snatching the bottle from my hands and taking a long swig. I gaped and said "Hey, you've had enough don'tcha think?" He smirked and mumbled "No, that's just you." I scowled at him and growled under my breath "Bite me."

He grinned and whispered "Fine." My eyes widened as I whispered "No, no, I take it back."

He smirked and mumbled "I thought you would." I rolled my eyes as he took another swig from the bottle and smirked at me. 

Stefan's POV;

I stood by the lake and felt guilt and pain enfold me, making me see my past and memories, reminding me of the darkness I brought to peoples lives.  

Flashbacks, 1864, Mystic Falls, Virginia; Stefan's POV;

I stood by the quarry and waited for my brother to wake up, to wake up as a vampire. I knew what I did was wrong but I couldn't lose my brother, I needed my big brother.

I closed my eyes and turned off the guilt as I heard Damon walk out of the shack behind me, I turned to him with a smile and asked "How do you feel?" He walked out from the shadows, my smile got bigger as I saw how much better he looked, he looked healthy again.

He answered with a small smile "You were right. It is a whole new world." I smiled in happiness and said "We can explore it together."

Damon smiled again and mumbled "You got what you wanted... You and me for all eternity, but hear this, brother." His smile faded away into a glare as he snapped "I will make it an eternity.. of misery for you."

He walked around me and away from the quarry as I spun around and called sadly "Damon!" 

Present Day, Mystic Falls, Virginia;

Stefan's POV;

I stared ahead as my brother faded away along with his words of hatred, and along came another memory.

Flashbacks, 1864, Mystic Falls, Virginia; Stefan's POV;

I turned around and jumped a little when I saw Emily standing there. She stated calmly "You've transitioned." I nodded and asked "You'd have rather found me dead?" Emily muttered "Katherine saved my life once. I owed her. That doesn't mean I'd wish her curse on anyone."

She shook her head sadly as I shook mine and said with a grin on my face "It feels more like a gift." She mumbled with a small smile "That will change." I asked curiously "Why is that?" Emily walked over and came to a stop infront of me as she said honestly "Because even in death, your heart is pure, Stefan. I sense that about you. That will be your curse."

I took in her words and felt worry flood through me.

Before I could question further Emily walked around me and away from the quarry just like my brother had. I frowned and called "Emily, wait!" She continued to walk away until she reached the shadows and left me standing at the quarry, alone. 

Present Day, Mystic Falls, Virginia;

Stefan's POV;

I stumbled backwards, away from the horrible flashbacks of my past, away from the decisions I wrongly made.

I felt tears build up behind my eyes as I stood there, not knowing what to do with myself, not knowing what was happening to me.

A voice then said from behind me "Stefan." I turned to meet her beautiful brown eyes, Elena.

I looked around frantically as Elena muttered "Damon told me the rest of the story, I thought I might find you here." I nodded and mumbled "I should have died that night, just like I had chosen. I should have let Damon die too." Elena whispered softly "But you didn't. And if you die now, it's not gonna change what happened."

I said with guilt "Every single person that's been hurt, every single life that's been lost is because of me." Elena looked at me with sympathy and whispered "The night that my parents died, I blew of family night so that I could go off to some party. I ended up getting stranded, and they had to come pick me up. That's why we ended up in the car at Wickery Bridge, and that's why they died."

She sniffled back her tears and mumbled "Our actions are what set things in motion, but we have to live with that." I knew she was right but the guilt just wouldn't leave me, it was weighing me down.

I muttered "I made a choice, Elena. And because of that choice, alot of people were hurt." Elena added "You also made a choice to stop, to reject the person that the blood made you. You made a choice to be good, Stefan." I shook my head in disagreement and mumbled "No. Please don't do that."

I didn't want her to persuade me I was a good person because I knew I wasn't. I chose to be a monster as soon as I drank my fathers blood.

Elena continued to persuade me "That's the person who jumped in the water to save the family whose car had been driven off the bridge." I shook my head and moaned "Please. Don't make this all ok." Elena kept going "That's the person who saved my life."

She got closer and closer to me as I argued "You don't understand, Elena." Elena whispered "Then tell me."

I whimpered through the pain "It hurts me. It hurts me knowing what i've done, and that pain... That pain is with me all the time. And everyday, I think that if I just... If I just give myself over to the blood, I can make that pain stop. It would be that easy, and everyday, I fight that. And I am so terrified that one day, i'm not gonna want to fight anymore, Elena. And the next time I hurt somebody... it could be you."

I held the tears back that were urging to escape my eyes as Elena shook her head and whispered "There won't be a next time." I said with a sympathetic smile "You don't know that."

Elena frowned and said "Maybe I don't. But what I do know is, you can take this-" She lifted my ring infront of her face and continued "And you can throw it in the quarry and let the sun rise. Or you can take this ring and put it on and keep fighting."

She leaned forward and kissed my lips, gently and meaningfully. She pulled back after a moment and placed the ring in my hand, curling my fingers over it. She whispered sadly "It's your choice." I watched her with upset as she turned around and began to walk away.

I looked down at my ring and turned towards the lake, did I want to die? This is what I asked myself when I was human, my answer was no, but I had followed my brothers decision.

I would keep fighting for myself, my brother, for Elena.

I turned around and called "Elena."

She turned slowly towards me as she watched me push my ring onto my finger then look up into her eyes. I walked towards her quickly and grabbed her face, pressing my lips to hers. She gasped in happiness between the kisses I planted on her lips as I pulled back and hugged her close to me, never wanting to let her go. She had saved me, her love saved me. And my love for her was too strong to throw away.

Ally's POV;

I looked up at Damon and whispered "I'm sorry for what happened to you, it wasn't fair." He looked from the fire to me with a smirk and noticed I wasn't joking or teasing, his smirk faded into a cute smile.

I sighed and walked over to the alcohol cabinet, with my back to him. I said softly "I know you believe you have no friends because everyone hates you, but I don't." I glanced over my shoulder at him as he rose from the sofa slowly and smirked.

He went to answer when Stefan and Elena walked through the front door. I took a deep breath and looked away from Damon's beautiful blue eyes.

I hurried over to them and asked Stefan "Are you ok?" He smiled and nodded as I slapped his arm and snapped "Don't ever do that again." He let out a small laugh and whispered "I won't." He hugged me close to him and said into my shoulder "Thank you for helping look after me." I pulled back with a smile and mumbled "You're welcome."

He smiled as Elena said to Stefan "I'll be upstairs." I nodded and mumbled "I'm going to bed, i'm shattered." I walked to the stairs, holding my journal to my chest as I looked at Damon and Stefan and said "Night."

Stefan smiled and muttered "Night." Damon raised his glass of bourbon and said with a smirk "Goodnight Ally."

I smirked and walked upstairs into the spare room I had been sleeping in and as I got into the room, I closed the door behind me and got changed into a baggy shirt and sweat pants. I got under the covers and opened the window, letting the cold air in, to cool down the room. I closed my eyes and smiled into my pillow as I slowly drifted to sleep.

Damon's POV;

I thought about what Ally had said, about the fact that she didn't hate me. It made my heart flutter, it made me feel wanted.

I watched her walk over to Stefan and Elena, asking if they was ok as I poured myself a glass of bourbon. Suddenly Ally called from the stairs "Night." I turned to her and raised my glass with a smirk as I said "Goodnight Ally."

Her lips curved into a smirk as I felt my heart flutter again, that smirk was like mine, it was confident, sexy and flirtatious.

I watched her walk upstairs and into her bedroom as Stefan turned to me and said "Thank you." I looked at him and teased "No, thank you, Stefan. You're back on bambi blood, and i'm the big badass brother again. All is right in the world."

Stefan shook his head and said "I mean it. Thankyou for helping them taking care of me." I rolled my eyes and muttered "You brood too much. Everything on this planet is not your fault. My actions, what I do, is not your fault. I own them, they belong to me. You're not allowed to feel my guilt."

Stefan frowned and asked "Do you feel guilt?" I shrugged and mumbled "If I wanted to, it's there. Emily waited till after I turned to tell me she'd been successful in protecting Katherine with her spell. She didn't want me to know about the tomb, she thought it would impact my decision." Stefan said "She didn't want either one of us to turn. She said it was a curse." I downed my bourbon and muttered with sarcasm "Witches, judgy little things."

Stefan crossed his arms and asked "Why didn't you tell me?" I placed my glass on the side and snapped "Because I didn't want you to know. 'Cause I hated you, and I still do." Stefan sighed and mumbled "I know." I muttered with anger "But not because you forced me to turn." Stefan frowned in confusion and asked "Then why?" I growled "Because she turned you. It was just supposed to be me Stefan, just me." I walked away from him and upstairs in a rage, my fists shaking in anger.

I wanted to go to my bedroom and drink all night long but I found myself standing over Ally's sleeping body and stroking her beautiful face. She started to shiver in her bed as I looked at the window and rolled my eyes, she had left it open.

I closed it and turned to her again, I felt the anger subside and my heart began to race as I brushed a strand of hair away from her face and stroked her smooth cheek. I whispered with a smile "Goodnight Ally."

I walked out of her room and shut the door quietly before zooming into my bedroom and sitting on my bed. I let my head fall back onto the pillows and as I closed my eyes and let my dreams take over, I soon drifted to sleep.

Alaric's POV;

I sat on the stool by the bar in the Mystic Grill and found myself drowning my disappointment in the alcohol. After searching for Isobel with Damon today I realised I had to stop this obsession with finding her, she was gone. Alive but gone from this town. I had to move on.

I know alcohol isn't the smartest way past this but it was a start and it seemed to take my mind off of her.

I downed the glass of vodka when a voice appeared beside me "Hello, Rick." I gulped my drink down and slowly glanced across the bar and saw her, she smiled sweetly at me and leaned against the bar as I muttered "Isobel." She's back, great, just what I need.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Woo! Chapter 18! 2 more chapters until finished book!;D I really hope you liked this chapter, please comment, like/vote, fan, etc! :) Thank you guys so much! You've all really kept this story going, without your support this would be nothing :')

mrsdamonsalvatorex

xoxo.