Crumbling Hearts and Shattered Minds

Chapter 20: A Deafening Shot Rang Out

Stefan POV

It was strange.

I knew I was in my brothers head but everything was so realistic.

It looked exactly like it did back on that horrid night. I looked around. The first thing that demanded my attention was the carriage. Then I heard the cock of a gun and Giuseppe's voice.

A wave of protectiveness shot through me when the monster had called my brother a disappointment. I was about to say something but he turned the barrel of the rifle towards me.

I froze.

I was ready to accept my fate and I shut my eyes tight. Then I felt a sharp tug in my gut.

But it wasn't from a bullet. My eyes snapped open and I found myself staring at the ceiling of the parlor.

Damon had shoved me out of his mind.

But he was still in there! He was still in danger.

Bonnie had said what ever happens in there will directly effect out here. That if Damon dies inside his mind, he dies physically out here too.

Panic courses through my veins and shot down my spine. I shot up and turned so I was kneeling next to my brother.

I shook him, trying desperately to wake him, pull him out of the dangers of his mind.

"Damon! Please wake up!" I begged, ignoring the group that sat, gaping at my brother and I.

He didn't stir. I could still here Giuseppe and Damon in my mind. It must be an after affect of the spell.

"You fool! Now you shall pay the price for your insolence!" I heard Giuseppe say in my/Damon's head.

no no no no NO!

I tried shouting at them. It was fruitless. I was locked out of his mind, only to hear what's going on in there.

I was trapped on one side of a one way window. I started shaking my brother again.

"Come on Damon! You can't stay in there! Come back home! Please! Just come back to me! I can't do this without you, brother!" I shouted at my non responsive sibling.

"I don't care. All that matters is that Stefan is out of your reach and done with you for good." I heard Damon say back to Giuseppe.

I stopped cold.

he couldn't.

No no no no no.

"you can't do this to me Damon! I need you! You hear me you bastard! I need you. I fucking always needed you! You promised me. Remember? Right before you left for war! You promised you'd be here as long as I needed you! You promised you'd always- Always!- come back! Please! Damon, please! I still need you!" I shouted at the top of my lungs at my comatose brother.

Tears were streaming endlessly down my face and I didn't even make an effort to wipe them away.

The group be damned.

All that mattered was my brother. I heard a inhumanly snarl from inside my head then the cock of the rifle.

"NO!" I shouted futilely.

The shot that rang out in my head was deafening. I heard my life come to an end and my purpose fall to the ground and break. My blood ran cold and I felt more dead than when I was shot. My heart clenched and shattered. I heard a body slump to the gravelly path.

"DAMON!" I sobbed as loud as I could muster, as though I thought if my brother could hear me, he'd come back.

I felt warm liquid cover my hands and I looked down to we're my right hand laid on top of Damon's heart.

I pulled my hand away and the smell struck me like a freight train.

For the second time this week I've had my brother's blood coated on my hands.

I cried out and tried to cover the wound. Though I knew it wouldn't do any good. Bonnie had made it clear that if we got hurt during this spell we'd get hurt as though we were human.

The bullet had pierced right through my brother's heart.

It was my fault.

I should have fought.

I should have saved him.

I should have been a better brother.

I should have killed Giuseppe sooner.

But knew that if I had done any of this, it wouldn't change what did happen.

My brother was gone.

I failed him.

He was always there for me and yet when he needed me, I wasn't able to save him.

I lost him.

My one last family member.

My brother.

My best friend.

My other half.

I lost him and now I can't get him back.

I sobbed and beat my fist on his chest, as though trying to revive him. I dropped my head over his heart and the bleeding wound.

I sobbed uncontrollably and encircled my arms around my last family.

My only family.

Because he had been my only family.

Alway and forever.

But that forever had been shattered and now I faced the harsh light of day.

I dragged my brother so he was leaning against me and the blood that ha been pooling on the hard wood floor smeared. I hugged my brothers back to my chest as I kneeled and rocked us both back and forth. I was still sobbing.

A thought struck me.

My brother had died alone.

Last time we died I had been there.

But not this time.

He died thinking he was alone.

I had to show him he wasn't alone.

I continued to rock us side to side and I started humming a tune that Damon would sing to me when I had nightmares.

The others were sobbing with me now and the sun had gone down while I was in Damon's head. So we were left in the dark, sobbing filled the room and I continued humming none the less to make sure Damon knew he wasn't alone. He was never alone.

"You weren't alone. Damon. I'm sorry I never got to say goodbye. We rushed into this too quick. I should have said goodbye. I needed to say goodbye. And I'm sorry. I'm so so sorry. I-I love you, brother. Please don't be gone." I cried my one last good bye to my only family.

Damon had been everything for me, and now he's gone.