chapter 20: My Brother's Keeper

Two days later, Damon and Elena were at the Salvatore mansion in front of the metal door of one of the basement dungeons where Stefan was locked up.

He didn't want to start drinking human blood again and refused to start Harper's treatment because he was afraid of becoming a Ripper again.

 Lexi had spoken to him to try to convince him but he refused, Elena also tried but in vain. He told him that he was too afraid of what he might do to her if he turned back into the thing he was.

Now it was up to Damon to try to reason with his little brother and he asked Elena and Lexi to give them some privacy before entering the room where Stefan was sitting.

Damon : So baby Stefan doesn't want to take his bottle? 

 Stefan: Get out Damon, I'm not in the mood. 

 Damon: Stop being so childish and start the treatment, if Harper says it can work for you then it's very possible that it really will.

 Stefan: I know he's your friend but you can believe me Damon, this "treatment" doesn't-(interrupted)

 Damon: You don't know. You don't know if it's going to work or not but one thing is for sure, you're afraid to try. Pussy... 

 Stefan: Fuck you. You don't know what I'm capable of when I succumb to human blood...

 Damon sat up and looked at him.

 Damon: You know, I would have done everything differently coming back to town. I would have killed a lot more people and innocent people if I hadn't met Harper in 1977. It's thanks to him that I'm not really so impulsive anymore even if I still love killing so much, I just avoid to attack innocent people. We want to help you little brother.

 Stefan: You're kidding me now. Since when have you been trying to play your role as a big brother when you swore to hate me by promising to make my Eternity hell ?

 Damon: I tried to hate you, believe me. The truth is, I really hated you, but not because you you forced me to complete the transition . At the time, I was frustrated that Katherine transformed you against your will when I had to ask her to give me her blood. It made me realize that she preferred you and it was a truth that made me so angry that I drowned it out to blame you.

 Stefan:…

 Damon: I...you're all I have left, brother. You are what reminds me of the boys we were, that one day I was human, that I saw the little pink baby that you were, I saw you grow up, following me with admiration wanting be like me sometimes. I once had a life little brother and you were part of it but I wanted to hate you out of pure jealousy and frustration.

 Stefan: Damon, you-(interrupted)

 Damon: Just listen, Stefan. I fell in love with Elena, I even met her before you but I erased her memory of our meeting. I don't want there to always be a woman between us brother, if I confess that to you it's because I want you to know that I won't try anything, she reminded me of Katherine so it got out of control but it's no longer my priority. It's time for me to take responsibility as a big brother. I wasn't there when you needed me, I also made you suffer but Stefan two days ago I thought these guys were going to kill you and that I was going to lose my little brother forever .

 Stefan:…

 Damon: You can't continue to be so vulnerable with your diet but if you want to stay weak then that will be your choice and I will do what I can to protect you, that's what big brothers do.

 He stood up and showed the small vial with human blood and diluted vervain inside.

 "Tomorrow if this bottle is still full then you'll have made your choice and we'll let you out so that you can return to harass the squirrels but if you drink its contents then we will support you in your treatment. I hope you enjoyed this discussion, I'm not the type to talk about this kind of thing and it's not likely to happen again but you can be sure of one thing, I will always be here for you, whatever your choice." He finished his sentence by patting his shoulder before walking out of the room he locked.

 A little later, news shook several people. Vicki Donovan had been found dead and the state of her rotting showed that she had been killed several days ago.

Unlike in canon where Damon turned her into a vampire, he hadn't even approached her or even Caroline because he didn't harm any innocent people anymore. Those who killed Vicki were Frederic and Bethanne while they were out without Pearl knowing.

 Tonight the Founders Council held a meeting about this because remnants of blood had not been recognized in her bodily fluids and the coroner himself stated that she was drained of blood at her death.

The hospital had declared a shortage in the blood bank so a vampire alert was declared by the council.

 At the end of this meeting, Damon and Harper who was driving him home discussed it a little but Damon thought of something that made him curious.

 Damon: Tell me buddy, your boring blonde, How old is she ?

 Harper: (smiles) Lexi is more or less 340 years old now...technically...

 Damon: Pearl is over 500 years old. Can you tell me how she managed to knock Pearl down so easily even though she's older and stronger?

 Harper: Oh that ? It's simply because I aged her. You probably noticed that I could use magic.

 Damon: I always wonder how that could be possible.

 Harper: Let's say I'm a hybrid, a mix between a witch and a vampire. I learned over time and through encounters how that was possible. Honestly, it's complicated to explain but I wasn't the only one...

 Damon: So? This aging thing, Merlin?

 Harper: I created an extremely powerful artifact for vampires, a tool that can allow them to age their bodies very quickly and make them more powerful. I didn't do it for the sake of our species, just for my dietary needs.

 Damon: Food needs?

 Harper: That's another story...(looks at Damon) By the way, Happy birthday my friend.

 Damon: It's been 124 years since I last heard this sentence addressed to me and it has to come from you...

 Harper: We're friends, it's only with me that you can't show your arrogant, nonchalant and impulsive face. This is the Damon from the first years of his transformation, the one who asked Lexi to take care of her little brother.

 Damon: This aging tool, can you use it on me?

 Harper: Okay.

 Damon: Okay?! Just like that ? Are you crazy...?

 Harper: (laughs) Because I just want to, so I'll do it. Plus I know it's to protect Stefan, right? Lexi told me that your little brother is stubborn about not starting treatment. Thus, Cain will finally become his brother's keeper... 

 Damon: I almost lost him forever, Harper. If this little bastard refuses to eat properly to get stronger then I'm going to have to get stronger for us. What happened must never happen again.

 Harper: You've finally decided to take your role as an older brother seriously! We're going to do it, consider it a birthday present but you can forget the almost 100 year old whiskey I brought in the trunk as a gift.

 "Dream…" Damon replied amusedly as they approached the Salvatore mansion. Under Harper's recommendation, Damon asked Lexi to take care of Stefan because he'll be away for several days in an emergency.

 He and Harper then went to the Freed mansion where Damon looked at Harper's vintage car collection.

The mansion was truly gigantic and the underpass looked more like a big bunker than anything else with several very well appointed underground rooms.

In one of the underground rooms, Harper prepared what was needed for the ritual.

There was a stone tomb, a bowl in which Damon's blood had been collected, and rock salt.

 Harper: This tomb was also bewitched by me. Anyone who lies down inside finds himself immobilized indefinitely and unable to get out on their own without outside help.

 Damon: Why?

 Harper: You'll know soon enough, but for now, I'm going to have to ask you to trust me as usual, my friend. Start by settling inside...

 Damon was slightly wary and hesitant before settling into the grave and as soon as he noticed he couldn't move a single millimeter of his body, his blue eyes began to show some panic and Harper drew a tight circle around the grave with the rock salt while reciting incantations to seal the area from temporal effects.

 He took out a magnificent black and gold pocket watch from the inside pocket of his coat before opening it to place it on Damon's chest, still motionless.

He took the bowl of blood from Damon and then poured the contents onto the watch continuing his incantations before smiling at Damon and pressing the button at the top of the watch then stepping aside.

 Suddenly, The hands of the watch began to spin faster and faster, causing several days and weeks to pass on the watch as Damon's body began to dry out from the accelerated time as he was not fed for the equivalent of two weeks.

That was the usefulness of this immobilization because hunger would have instinctively pushed Damon to do what was necessary to get out of there and interrupt the ritual to go and feed.

 Harper closed the stone tomb to let him grow old inside and go mind his own business. Over the course of five days, a number of things happened.

The procedures for the funeral of Vicki, Pearl and Anna who had moved in with Harper, Stefan had also started the treatment given by Harper under the supervision of Lexi and Elena.

 The treatment worked quite well and Stefan could safely drink reasonable little amounts of human blood without losing control.

As long as he didn't directly bite a human to drink then it would be better, the blood bags were no longer a problem for him.

He spiced up the blood a little with a few drops of vervain to make it easier to control and it had the effect of drinking a horribly strong liquor but he got used to it little by little.

 As for Damon completely dried out, Harper decided it was time to stop aging. He had come in regularly to cut Damon's hair and nails which were growing steadily.

He removed the pocket watch from Damon's chest before putting it away and with a snap of his fingers, the rock salt on the ground scattered.

Harper opened a bag of blood above Damon's head whose hungry and fierce eyes opened quickly from the smell of the blood and he began to pour the blood little by little into Damon's mouth as black veins appeared on the lower eyelids of Damon's mummified face.

 Harper then took him out of there while Damon's body was gradually regaining color even though he was still hungry and weakened.

He looked at Harper without saying anything because he was still too weak and Harper moved him, smiling at him.

 Harper: Welcome back my friend, first let me offer you a welcome meal because I know how much the famine made you suffer. We're going to see my little livestock...

 He took him to a large underground room where there were about twenty men as well as women who watched Harper enter with great fear while he gave a big smile.

 Harper: All of these people are dangerous criminals who have committed atrocious things, most of them rape and murder of children. Do you remember the Gilberts' signet ring? I have created several others and they all wear one, they are my livestock and I can drink their blood dry, they will come back to life because of the ring. I forced them not to leave here, not to commit suicide or kill each other, to feed each other and try to defend themselves to add excitement to my massacres. They are yours so I wish you an excellent appetite my friend.

 He placed Damon on the ground as he began to get up awkwardly as Harper walked out locking the door and behind him screams of pain, fear and terror were heard.

He had treated these people like cattle because of their heinous crimes, they were beasts to him, animals that he would punish again and again by using them as an inexhaustible source of blood.