So here's the last chapter - I hope you've all liked this mini-story!

Thank you to everyone who's made it happen - that means YOU (reviewers/favouriters/followers)!

See ya next time when I start another story or oneshot in the future sometime :) Depends what juice the producers give us :p

victoria: They seriously do! The only time we've seen them hug is in the flashback in season 1. I hate their feuding D:

guest: I'm glad you think strongly about that subject! Yes, of course in reality Stefan should not forgive his brother so easily, but a) this is only a mini-story and b) I really want them to just be friends (as well as brothers) again! It kills me that there's always the issue of their girlfriends that stops them from getting along! I prefer Stefan, so I think Damon should get a girlfriend of his own - not Elena ;) I liked Rose :(

Enjoy!

Chapter Eight (Caroline's POV):

When Damon didn't return in the morning, Caroline was at her wits end.

Elena had phoned last night, recounting the events of Damon and Stefan appearing in her house, looking as if they'd been fighting, and that Damon had told her to meet Bonnie.

Caroline had instantly offered to meet up as well, but Elena had told her to stay with Jeremy, that it was best they didn't bother Damon or Stefan, and she wanted a girly chat with Bonnie.

Caroline had put the phone down in frustration, just knowing that Damon had used his freaky power to stop her friend from talking to her. And he probably hadn't confessed to Elena that Stefan knew about them...you know.

Now, Caroline only had Jeremy for company, which wasn't helping her nerves.

"Aren't we supposed to be training…?"

Caroline realised that she hadn't talked to Jeremy for a while.

"Oh, erm…Look Jeremy, there's something big happening, and I'm stuck here, no offence, when instead I should be helping my friend! Training is the last thing on my mind!"

Jeremy took a step back, and opened his mouth as if to say 'sorry', then his posture changed, eyes hardening. "Your friend who's a vampire?"

Caroline continued to search outside the house for any sign of either Salvatore, barely listening to Jeremy. "Uh yeah" She turned round and flicked him an absent smile, before resuming her search.

"Your type really is everywhere, aren't they?"

"Mhmm…"

"Infecting the whole of Mystic Falls."

"Yep." Caroline nodded absently, then stopped. "Err what?"

Feeling a sharp object at her back, she swivelled slowly round.

"Vampires shouldn't be here, Caroline."

"Okay, I'll leave…"

Jeremy laughed dryly. "I don't mean this house, I mean this town!"

Caroline furtively glanced down at the stake that was clenched in Jeremy's grip. "Listen Jeremy, I know you think you should do this because of your hunter's instincts or whatever, but remember that your sister is 'one of them'! All your close friends are either vampires, werewolves, hybrids, witches, every supernatural being possible in the planet!"

"Then I need to wash the planet of them all. Starting with you."

Before Caroline could react, Jeremy was pulling back and plunging forward…

..."Jeremy!" A shout from outside the window...

...Suddenly his flow was diverted by a body flung between them.

"I don't think so, Jeremy."

Caroline's eyes widened at both voices, able to recognise them from anywhere.

"I need to kill you all!" Jeremy hissed.

Damon tossed the stake up and down idly. "Yeah, not today. We need to train you to kill the real monsters. Isn't that right, brother?"

"We don't kill people until necessary, brother. Unless it's you, of course." The voice held no evil in it, just a playful tone.

Damon grinned without saying anything, pushing Jeremy towards the door.

Caroline spun to the window, where Stefan was standing, leaning against the window frame, a smile lifting the corners of his mouth, a complete contrast to when she'd last seen him. It seemed his whole presence was shining, or maybe it was the sun?

"Stefan…" She whispered. She wanted to apologize for the pain she'd caused him, it wasn't her place to tell him the secrets that had been insubstantial in the wide view of things.

Stefan leant forward as close as he could before the invisible barrier stopped him. "I'm sorry for how I reacted, Caroline. You've been the best friend I could ever have, and I hate that I acted that way around you. I promise I'm going to stay as close as I can to the Stefan you know."

Damon appeared next to Caroline at the window. "The Stefan you are."

They both shared a look that Caroline couldn't believe she was seeing. It was a far cry from the animosity usually present.

Indicating for Stefan to go round to the door, Caroline followed Damon.

"Okay little Gilbert, invite Stefan in."

"What? I'm not going to invite another vampire here!"

"My brother and I are going to help you to become a vampire-loving hunter. It's what you want - the real you wants. You know it is."

Jeremy's tense muscles flexed. His eyes softened a little as he became himself again.

He sighed "Sorry about that, the urge to kill the enemy is too strong sometimes. Uh Stefan, come in." Glancing at all of them in turn, he shook his head and headed towards the kitchen.

"Right well, Blondie goodbye," Damon cheerfully announced "we'll see you…sometime in the future."

"But I – you – we…"

Stefan surprised her by hugging her tight. "Everything is fine, Caroline. Trust us."

"I trust you."

Damon sauntered towards them as they pulled out of the hug and Stefan glanced at him, repeating "Trust us."

"I just saved your life, Blondie. Put a little faith in me."

Caroline glanced at the elder Salvatore warily before turning back to Stefan. He was smiling again.

The change in him was clear. No more lies lay hidden beneath his exterior, what she could see on the outside shone through from the inside. It was as if his soul lay plain for everyone to see.

His love. His joy. His trust. His fear. His pain.

This was the real Stefan.

"I'm glad you're back, Stefan."

(Damon's POV):

Damon was glad when Caroline left the house, taking away any tension with her.

No matter how matey she and Stefan were, he would never warm to her.

This mishap had been all her fault in the first place.

Well, technically it hadn't, but Damon wasn't one to admit to that.

Turning to his brother, he grinned. "What do you say to fixing another troublesome little brother?"

Stefan raised an eyebrow, serious looking - apart from the sparkle in his eyes "It's the older ones that are always the problem."

Damon opened his mouth in mock horror and put his hands on his hips. "How dare you say such a thing!"

Stefan couldn't contain his laughter. "Wow, paranoid much, did I mention you? But now we're talking about it, you need to control yourself, sometimes. People would think you were being a pest on purpose."

Damon stalked forward. "What, like now, boy?"

Stefan backed away, realisation forming in his eyes, hands in front of him. "Uhh Damon, you know I'm sensitive..."

Damon grinned mischievously "Yeah, I know."

Ever since he had been a small child, there was one thing Stefan couldn't stand. Tickling.

His little brother had always been the more sensitive one, in mind and touch.

Stefan's grin had dropped. "Damon...don't - " Damon leaped "- DAMON!"

"I'm a pest, remember?"

Damon managed to trap Stefan in a headlock and had proceeded to tickle at his leisure when a voice cut through the laughter.

"Have you guys stopped mucking around? We do have work to do."

Both Salvatore brothers turned to look at Jeremy, laughter echoing into silence.

"Right, sir, sorry sir." Damon released his brother and straightened up, brushing down his clothes.

Jeremy rolled his eyes and muttered something like "Vampires" before saying "I'll be ready in the living room" and leaving.

Stefan tried to smooth down his ruffled hair while simultaneously glaring at his brother.

Damon smiled angelically. "Saved by the hunter. That's a first."

Stefan started to walk to the living room and said over his shoulder ominously. "There's a first for everything. Like getting back at you."

Damon frowned, but the show of anxiety was betrayed by the amusement in his eyes. "Is that a threat, brother?"

Stefan twisted round before backing in the room. "You'd better watch your back, brother." Then he was gone.

"You'd better watch your back" Damon mimicked his brother's voice childishly, then sighed.

His brother couldn't do anything to faze him. Could he?

He shook the momentary doubt off, which was replaced by an unusually warm glow.

The novelty that Stefan had remained Ripper-less for him hadn't worn off.

They would always be brothers. No matter what.

Please review :)