EPILOGUE

ONE YEAR LATER

Stefan's POV

I wake up from someone's loud crying in the other room and roll in my bed with a groan, thinking how Bonnie and Damon must really be lacking sleep if they are not hearing that awfully piercing noise that can probably wake even the dead. I am not angry with them though, at least I wasn't waking up because of my nightmares. I look up at the clock on the nightstand and see that it's just a little before three in the morning.

I yawn and rub my tired eyes, Damon will probably scold me for having dark circles underneath them again, but at least the reason for it, won't be me screaming and tossing in my bed from my own demons. I drag myself out of bed and I can still hear the baby crying whilst Damon and Bonnie's door remains slightly opened as I pass by it. I take a peak and notice them cuddled into each other, sleeping peacefully and smile as I close the door and let them get their rest, heading instead to the nursery, while scratching the back of my head in another desperate attempt to wake myself up.

The door is opened, yet I still somehow manage to trip and hit my toes in it

"Goddammit!" I curse under my nose and grab my toes "You've gotta be kidding me!" the baby keeps crying and I decide that my pain is too insignificant right now even if I can see some blood on my white sock.

I always managed to hit myself in the damn edge of the damn door and Damon kept warning me, joking that he'll have to make it baby proof for me as well as for his son. He loved teasing me, my big brother, and then again I was making it easy for him-I was never the one to pay close attention, especially not in three in the morning when I'm half asleep. I've been dying for some rest as well. It turned out that living with a baby is definitely hard especially when you still have nightmares here and there. But I didn't mind. Not at all.

I smile when I lean down to his crib and pick Damon and Bonnie's five month's old son in my hands.

"Hey, Noah, come here, little fella" I soothe him as I pick him up.

His cry is still as piercing but when I start rocking him, he gets to calm down. His big brown eyes stare at me with confusion at first until he starts relaxing in my embrace. Bonnie has dressed him in my favorite onesies-the ones I bought for him the other day saying "I get my dance moves from my uncle!" which made Damon laugh but also grunt cause he was losing our bet.

We had this competition going with him-we would buy the kid onesies saying funny things like "Dude, your wife keeps checking my ass" or cheesy stuff like "I love my uncle" and make Bonnie decide which she likes better. In the morning she would dress him in one of it and that would mean a point either for me or for Damon-the winner got to eat breakfast and the loser went to work earlier than the other.

What can I say-we were still dumb kids he and I. Even if he was technically already a father. I mentally high-fived myself for she has chosen my onesie which meant Damon will be going to work early tomorrow. The thought of the coming day, however made me swallow hard so I decided to focus on the kid instead.

"Oh, man, you stink!" I say as I realize that there's a terrible smell coming from him "Let's go change you, what do you say?" I ask and he gives me one of his baby toothless smiles, knowing well enough that he's done something bad, but enjoying it anyway. He was a smart boy.

I take him to the living room, careful not to trip myself in one of his toys or my brother's clothes, or the laundry, or Noah's feeding chair or well…basically everything that was in here. This place wasn't big enough for us and again the thought made me swallow hard-not going to think about that now.

I place Noah on the couch that once upon a time I used to sleep on and undress him, cleaning up the mess he's made and trying to hold my breath.

"I swear to God, your father owes me big time" I say and Noah smiles devilishly again. He was such a sweet baby, with raven black hair-just like Damon's and deep brown eyes-like Bonnie's, his smile was charming and innocent and he was very stubborn sometimes-Damon said he took that from me but I disagreed, hoping that he never ever gets to inherit anything from me. The thought terrified me.

With a tired smile on my face, I changed his diaper, then took him with me to the kitchen and warmed him a bottle of milk-he liked to eat, the fella, unlike me. Then I turned the TV on and settled down with him and the bottle in hands, staring at the football game.

"Let's see our favorite team kick some…" I looked down before finishing my sentence. Bonnie has strictly forbidden us from cursing in front of him even if he was just a baby and she would threaten me and Damon with the frying pan whenever we let our nerves slip and get angry in front of Noah "Kick some…butt?" I asked confused, trying to get away from the awkward situation even if Bonnie and my brother were technically asleep, I still didn't dare test her anger.

Noah smiles again-he usually did that with me. Damon kept saying that I'm his favorite person, because he would always smile to me. I was good at calming him down as well and I loved rocking him in my hands till I could no longer feel them from numbness. I didn't care about myself though-I was willing to do everything for him-give my life if I had to.

After Damon got me out of juvie, I was sick for a while and it took me more than a month to get back to my feet, but I started getting slowly better. I was very depressed back then. I refused to talk to anyone, wouldn't eat, wouldn't sleep-I was very bad and Damon had a very hard time picking me up from the desperate hole I was in.

Even though I've shared some things from my past with him, there were still so many things he didn't know. Things I would absolutely never tell him, no matter what. I had to protect him after everything he did to me and I didn't really believe that it matters-it was in the past and I would only unnecessarily anger him and make him feel sorry for me, which I hated.

He often asked me about other things, pushed me to talk, sometimes I would share some stuff with him, sometimes I would lie and tell him a good memory here and there so I wouldn't disappoint him.

I loved him too much to put him through the hell I've been while I was growing up. I think that sometimes he knew I was lying, but he was mostly oblivious to it-he was willing to believe me, because he knew that digging much deeper won't do nor me not him any good-we needed our peace, we needed to move on.

But back then I didn't want to move on. I just wanted to stop feeling. I was empty inside and I wasn't willing to do anything to help myself. I was actually hoping that Damon will get sick of me and give me back up to the orphanage. There were days when I would lie down and refuse to get up.

He would come and shake my shoulder, beg me to just stand up even if for a little while. Then, at some point, he got angry with me-he would scold me, be harsh, leave me alone in my room or get out and not come back until later in the evenings. I was torturing him, putting him through hell and I hated myself for it. He was trying to push me to do anything, no matter what, but to get some reaction out of me.

One day, he came to my room and dragged me out of bed. I've spent so much time lying, that I couldn't even stand good on my own two feet. I got angry at him-he was talking awful things, saying that I'm selfish, that I'm giving up, that this isn't who I am-he was trying to provoke me and we began fighting. More like-I fought, I pushed him to the wall and started hitting him in the stomach, in the face, everywhere.

When I was done, I started crying and he picked me up and pressed me to his chest. I've busted his lip, hurt his nose, he was bleeding and he had bruises. I hated myself for what I did, but he promised that everything's alright, that he wanted me to do this, that he was afraid that if I don't, then things would be really bad and he wouldn't know what to do. Later, I found out he talked to Ric and he advised him to put me in a clinic and threat me for depression, because I was clearly not alright, but Damon refused. He said he'll fight till the end and here we were-he was bloody and bruised and I was shattered into pieces.

After this day, I started taking things slowly-I would go out with him and Bucky on long walks, Bonnie would come and cook us dinners. I often asked Damon to drive me to the cemetery so I could talk to Mikael and put flowers on his grave-I dreaded the thought that nobody ever visited him and I've often wondered if the same thing will happen to me one day.

Damon and I talked and he signed me back to school-I was behind on everything and I had to begin my junior year from scratch, but at least I had something to keep me busy. I hated the thought of going back to school, but Tyler was there and surprisingly-so was Elena. They moved to another neighborhood and her parents decided that she could switch schools.

She even had a boyfriend back then when I got back to school and despite the fact that my feelings for her were still as real as before, I decided not to act on them. We were friends now. Tyler said that it is impossible for us to remain like that, but I think we were working things quite good right now and I was glad at how everything was at the moment.

The news of Bonnie's pregnancy arrived after New Year's Eve and I've never seen Damon happier. I was excited as well but it wasn't until Noah was actually born that I realized how much I love the kid and how I'll do anything to keep him safe. My brother and Bonnie were officially engaged, but still not married and I think that I'll be thirty by the time they get to finally do this-they procrastinated it and I made fun of them about it all the time.

"Oh, you are done, aren't you?" I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn't notice that Noah finished his bottle. I took it away and pulled him closer to my chest, as I tried finding his blanket and covering him, unsuccessfully, so instead I took off my sweater and put it on him. My phone fell off my pocket and I noticed I had a text from Elena.

Please tell me that you're awake by some chance?

I smiled. She was studying for finals and she was very worried, as usually, even if she knew absolutely everything. I typed slowly with my hand

Little fella woke me up-I press send and take a picture of me holding baby Noah in my hands. Elena always melted at the sight of him

Oh, Stefan, he is so ADORABLE-she responds right away and I sigh annoyed, rolling my eyes as I look down at him

"See, Noah, you're a few months old and you already have all ladies at your feet. How do you do this? You've got any tips?" I joked and he looked me with his sleepy eyes, he was about to fall.

Try calling him that when you're changing his diapers-I type and she sends me a smiley emoticon. I stare at the game for a while, rocking Noah in my hands and talking to him, my voice apparently calmed him down, according to Bonnie.

One night she was so tired and nervous-on the verge of tears and unable to calm him down, that she came to my room, woke me up and begged me to take him. The minute I did and started talking to him, he began falling and in the morning she made me extra pancakes, which I rubbed in Damon's nose happily.

I wasn't tired this night, so I kept Noah in my hands even after he fell asleep. I was afraid to move and I'm pretty sure my back would hurt like a bitch tomorrow, but I didn't care, as long as he was alright.

Elena obviously, too, fell asleep and I ended up alone in four in the morning, listening to my brother's snoring in the other room and Noah's silent but steady breathing. However, this time, I wasn't sad that I'm alone-no, it was a good loneliness and I was used to it.

I was however very much lost in thoughts-tomorrow was a big day and even though I tried not avoiding it, I knew that the morning will catch up to me. I was hoping that Damon and I could go to the bookstore first so I would get distracted until noon and not think about the trial and the judge who will announce if they approved the adoption papers that Damon filed months ago.

Tomorrow, I would find out if I'm going to become a Salvatore and the thought scared me, because I was worried something will go wrong and the judge won't approve.

I liked the life I had right now-school was surprisingly fine and even interesting, even if I still had troubles concentrating and Damon spent much time helping me, I liked hanging out with Tyler and Elena, or walking Bucky out and running with him, I enjoyed working in the bookstore with Damon-the business was going quite good and I knew he was wondering whether or not he should open another one.

I am seventeen years old and I might finally be adopted tomorrow.

When Damon filed the papers I told him that there isn't much point to this anyway-I would be soon eighteen, no longer a minor and I would be taking care of myself anyway, but he got very angry when I said those words. He claimed that I am a part of this family and he would make it official even if it's the last thing on earth he has to do.

He said that I might be used to taking care of everything myself, but now I no longer needed to-he was my brother and I could rely on him. I guess in many ways he was right-I still was unstable, even if I was visiting a psychiatrist once a week. I didn't have nightmares every evening, but I still had them at least twice a month and my screams would wake Noah and make him cry-something which I resented so much. I still had many nights when I just wouldn't fall asleep and I would stare at the ceiling for hours until the morning came-the doctors said I have insomnia and Damon felt like this is his fault as well, even thought it was just another thing that he couldn't fix.

I sighed and stood up, slowly making my way to Noah's nursery and placing him in his crib. Then I got back to the living room, put my sweater on and went out on the balcony, deciding to smoke a cigarette. It was a habit I couldn't get rid of and Damon still scolded me for it whenever he saw me doing it, but he knew that I needed it too-at least I wasn't drinking or taking drugs and I think he realized it as well, because he let it slip here and there.

I sighed, wondering what I'm going to do from now on. I knew that Damon wanted to buy a bigger house, but the money from the bookstore wouldn't be enough-I knew so, because I did all the counting and kept our books in order-I was good with numbers so he trusted me on that. I heard him and Bonnie discussing having another kid maybe soon and I knew that if this happened, there will be no place for me in their house. I had to start figuring a way to earn money and rent my own flat, college was out of the question for now-I couldn't win a scholarship with the grades and the record I had and Damon wouldn't be able to pay for any of it, not with a kid on his hands.

I threw the cigarette off the balcony and got another one, lighting it up just when I heard someone behind me open the door.

Damon's POV

I woke up accidentally when Bonnie kicked me in the stomach with her elbow. I couldn't be angry at her-she was very tired lately. Raising a kid proved to be a very difficult thing to do and if it wasn't for Stefan sometimes I'm not sure we would be able to pull it off.

I got up and dragged myself to the living room, finding the TV on and looking around for my little brother only to realize that he's on the balcony, smoking.

I furrowed my eyebrows-he had to stop doing this, it was screwing up his already fucked up health. I've been pressuring him to come to the hospital with me for weeks now-I wanted them to make him some tests ever since I found out about the people drugging him when he was a child. There was no way he was in a perfect physical condition after they did this to him, but he refused to go, saying he hates doctors and that even if there's something wrong, he prefers living in oblivion.

It was hard picking him up after I got him out of juvie and he still wasn't doing that great, even a year later after it, but I was hoping that with time he would be alright. His screams still filled the flat and they would make me jump in bed and rush to his room-I thought of him as my kid just like I did with Noah and even if sometimes I was overprotective, I just couldn't help myself. He needed me and I had to be there for him.

"Noah woke you up?" I ask as I push the door open and join him outside, it was a relatively warm evening, but I was glad he had his sweater on. I didn't want him to get sick

"Yeah, but I fed him and put him back to sleep" he responds with a smile as he takes a drag from his cigarette and I lean on the railing next to him.

"Thank you so much, I think Bonnie and I were too tired after we pulled an all-nighter two times this week."

"It's okay, Damon. I love taking care of him" he responds with a smile, but I can see that there's something going on his mind, something bothering him

"Is everything alright? Are you worried about tomorrow?" I ask him and he shrugs, refusing to give me a proper answer "Stefan, you know, it will be fine. Ric said the judge would agree and sign the papers."

"I'm not worried that much about tomorrow than about what happens after that" he finally admits what's bugging him and avoids my look as he lets the smoke off into the dark night "I never really asked you if you thought this carefully through, Damon" he begins and clears his throat "I've been selfishly thinking about me again, but I'm turning eighteen soon, there's really no need for you to do this-"

"Stefan, we talked about this when I filed the papers!" I cut him off before he can even finish his thoughts

"Yes, but back then Noah still wasn't born and you and Bonnie you might want to have more kids and I will only be-"

"Stefan, listen to me, brother" I interrupt him and I put my hand on his shoulder, slightly pushing him to me, making him look me in the eyes "You are already part of this family and nothing" I stare in his sad green eyes "nothing will change this, especially not a silly document that we get from some judge who has no idea who we are. Tomorrow is just a formality, you are already a Salvatore and you'll be one forever. No matter what we do, I am not leaving you alone, even if we have five more kids" I make sure he understands that.

He still thinks that people will give him up or leave him alone and he needed reassurance every now and then. That broke my heart-his trust issues, he would never fully believe my words, there will always be a part of him wondering what will happen if one day I get tired of him.

He still needed me. He wasn't alright-he was way behind on school and he'll graduate a year later, he still was confused as to what to do after it, he needed help. A year was a long time, yes, but for a boy who's been through hell like him….it could never be enough. He would need years to get back on his feet and I would be there for him, no matter what. He needed to be around people. I wouldn't just ship him off somewhere when he gets eighteen, rent him an apartment and tell him to take care of himself because he's old enough-no. That wouldn't do-he was constantly walking on the thin line of being okay and hitting rock bottom-he had great days, but he also had days when he thought about nothing but ending his own life. I knew it, no matter how hard he tried to hide it. I was aware of it and I would fight side by side with him for as long as we're on this earth.

"Do you understand this?" I ask him and he nods with uncertainty. I know he won't just believe my words like this

"I just…I don't want you to do something because you think you have to" he admits "I'll be fine on my own, I can take care of myself and when the time comes, I won't bother you and Bonnie anymore. I don't want you think you owe me anything"

"Stefan, please shut up!" I scold him "We've talked about this. You're not bothering anyone. If anything, we're grateful that you're here with us. You're so good with Noah and we certainly don't want you going anywhere. I'm pretty sure that if Bonnie could hear you now, she would be kicking your ass, so please stop before you've pissed me off, alright?" I say as I put my hand at the back of his neck and pull him to my chest, ruffling his head. He chuckles and tries to get away, but I just want to hear his laugh a bit longer

"Damon, let me goo!" he protests and I laugh

"No, way. Not until you promise you'll stop talking stupid things!"

"I am younger, of course I'll talk stupid things!" he comes up with something smart and I slap the back of his head playfully "OUCH! I'll tell Bonnie!"

"Please, go ahead!" I joke as I start tickling him next and he laughs out loud again

"She'll take my side, you'll see!" he grunts like a child and I realize that in ways he still is. He never got to have a normal childhood and he had to remember that he doesn't have to carry the whole world on his shoulder-he was still a teen, he ought to have fun. "Let me go, Damon!" he begs again and I finally let him go.

We go back inside and sit on the couch, making pop corns and watching the game, despite Bonnie's scolding not to do this in the middle of the night.

She took care of Stefan as if he was her own child and she wasn't afraid to scold him and be honest with him, something which he appreciated very much. I tend to be less stern with him for he would always be my little brother and I had to protect him at all costs.

He fell asleep on the couch and I covered him up with a blanket, knowing how much he needed his sleep. In the morning he was so nervous that he dropped his coffee cup and it shattered on the floor, because his hands were trembling so bad.

It made my heart clench and Bonnie had to calm him down, giving him a big hug. When we arrived at the court room, he was barely holding on and I had to put my hand on his shoulder and remind him everything will be alright.

Stefan's POV

I couldn't believe it when I heard the judge's words.

I knew that Damon kept telling me things will work out, but I didn't believe it. I didn't dare believe it for happiness was not something I was very used to.

When the judge announced his decision, the whole roll behind us jumped happily with and yelled from joy-there was Bonnie holding Noah, Elena, Tyler, Ric and a few of my old foster brothers and sisters who had long ago found their homes. I was so happy when I saw them cheering and rooting for me-I had no idea I mattered so much to someone.

But then there was Damon-my big brother who was not hiding his tears anymore. He held out the papers the judge gave him and stretched his hands. I rushed and threw myself in his embrace, letting my own tears go-tears, which for the first time in forever, were from joy and not sadness.

I finally had a family. I was no longer an orphan.

I had a roof above my head, I had two people who cared deeply for me and loved me, I had a wonderful nephew who's smile made my day and who I would make sure never gets to feel the things I've felt or see the things I've seen. I had amazing friends who were by my side when I was lost and confused.

But most of all, I had a brother.

And he went through hell with me-he accepted me when I was angry and tired, he loved me when I hated him, he held me in his arms when I couldn't walk, he fought my demons when I had no strength.

And I couldn't have been more grateful for that.

"So, how does it feel to officially be a Salvatore, kiddo?" Damon asks as he finally lets me go and smiles at me through tears, Bonnie is close by with Noah in hands

"It's not the name that matters" I respond "It's the person. Thank you for choosing me, Damon. Thank you for not giving up on me after you first saw me in that ruined house when Ric brought you to me. Thank you for going through hell with me and helping me get to the other side. I'm the happiest goddamn bastard in the world."

My words send him over the edge and he pushes my head to his chest yet again, because he doesn't want me to see him crying. He will always keep up his tough strong appearance, but I know that he's just a person like everyone else, that he also suffered and got sad at times, but he will forever be the person I can lean on and I'll always do the same for him.

Because we're brothers.

"No cursing, Stefan!" Bonnie scolds from behind him and both Damon and I chuckle-she was on the verge of tears herself, but she was trying to hold on "You want your nephew to learn all the bad words before he's even one?"

"But, Bonnie, he doesn't understand anything!" I excuse myself and she punches me in the arm and I pretend to be hurt

"I think you deserve a proper punishment for being so bad, what do you guys say?" she asks someone behind me and when I turn around I feel someone smashing something in my face and it takes me a moment to realize it's a cake.

When I clean away the frosting from my eyes, I laugh out loud and see Tyler and Elena smiling in my direction as well as Ric who was holding his stomach and trying to catch his breath.

Damon throws his arm over my shoulder and pulls me to his chest.

And I feel happier than I've ever been.

A/N: So, this is it guys! That's the end. I want to thank all of you for reading. When I started this story I wasn't certain there will be anyone to read Defan out there at all and I'm very glad that you enjoyed it and stayed with me till the end. It was a really challenging story for me to write and even though there were many sad moments, I was determined to end it all on a happy note. I think both Stefan and Damon deserved it. Even though this is the official end, I might add missing chapters here and there when I feel like writing about this story if that's okay with you. I have an idea for a one-shot as well, but I'll be glad if you told me whether or not you would maybe read one? I am thinking about another story too, but I'm not sure I'll post anything soon, cause college life is killing me. I want to thank you all again for reading and I am sorry if I was the reason for you being too sad. I read and appreciate each review, it's what keeps me going. If you have any questions, you can find me on twitter- Flowing_lantern. :)