After a two year hiatus, I'm back! Wow, it's been a while. I'll update my bio...I won't ramble about my life here. This is my first story for The Vampire Diaries, and I hope I'm able to do the characters justice. I'm trying, and constructive criticism is always welcome, as are fabulous reviews! I'll try to update frequently, and I have an idea of where this story is going, so I hope you enjoy! Oh, and I'm not to fond of the title...I just needed something. I'm seriously terrible with titles. Please enjoy!

Shared Reparation

"Why are we here again?" Damon asked as he, his brother, and Elena exited the car and started for the old witch house.

"We're trying to see if we can get a clue to where Esther and Fin disappeared to," Stephen explained, walking past his brother and Elena, leading the way.

"Ah yes, Mama Original and her evil plan," Damon nodded, following his brother, leaving Elena to trail behind or catch up. "I thought we nipped that thing in the bud. You know, the whole turning Abby Bennett thing that happened yesterday?"

"I can't believe you're so cavalier about this," Elena piped up angrily, coming to walk beside the eldest Salvatore. "Bonnie's really upset about this."

"Well, it was a better solution than killing her, so really Bonnie should be thanking me," Damon shot back at the brunette girl. He knew what she was fishing for, and she wasn't going to get it. He wasn't going to apologize for saving her life, because for some reason, he still cared, even if she made it perfectly clear she didn't reciprocate his feelings.

"Thanking you? Damon you-"

"Both of you; stop it!" Stefan commanded as he stopped in the middle of the circle where the ritual was supposed to take place. "Something's different," he observed, surveying the area around him.

"Really? You were able to figure it out that quickly?" Damon doubtfully asked his brother, his ice blue eyes still boring defiantly into Elena's. "All hail Stefan," he said in a lower, almost accusatory voice, directed at Elena, though he knew very well that his brother would be able to hear.

Something in Elena's brown eyes seemed to soften as she picked up on a hurt behind the accusing tone Damon used. She couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt every time she looked at Damon ever since the Original's ball. He had done quite a few things since then to piss her off, but as much as she hated to admit it, she cared about him.

"I know you two have unresolved sexual tension between you, but can we focus on this before Elena puts herself in danger again, as she will undoubtedly do?" Stefan called over to his brother and his ex-girlfriend.

"Why of course, brother," Damon answered, breaking his gaze with Elena as he made his way over to where Stefan was. "What did you find?" he asked, stepping into the sacrificial circle.

As Stefan opened his mouth to speak, he stopped at the sight of his brother doubling over, grabbing his head. "Damon?" the younger Salvatore asked urgently.

He was met by a scream of anguish as Damon fell to the ground.

"Damon!" Elena shouted, running to where the eldest Salvatore was writhing on the ground as his younger brother bent over him, unsure of what he should do, a look of worry clearly displayed on his face. She reached the brothers and Stefan looked at her, his eyes frantic. "What's wrong?" she asked, panicking.

"I don't know," Stefan admitted, sounding baffled and scared. "Damon, what is it?" he asked as Elena grabbed his brother, trying to keep him still as the screaming continued.

Damon thrashed against Elena's touch, trying to form words. "Witch!" he was able to shout before the word turned into a scream.

Elena and Stefan looked at each other, knowing that what they had to do next would not be easy.

"Go call Bonnie," Stefan instructed. Elena shook her head.

"Call Caroline, she's over there. Bonnie won't answer my calls, I'm sure she wouldn't answer you either. Get Caroline to bring her, I'll stay with Damon," Elena said.

"You call Caroline, and I'll stay with Damon."

"Do you really think this arguing is helping? We're just wasting time!" Elena snapped at him. With a solemn look, Stefan ran a distance to call the blonde vampire.

Elena could tell his guard was down, but she didn't know if his insistence that he remained with his brother stemmed from concern or jealousy. She pushed the possible reasons for Stefan's behavior out of her mind and concentrated on the Salvatore before her.

The brunette sat on the ground beside him, grasping his hand in her own, pushing aside the terrible things he had done as of late. The sight of Damon struggling on the ground, the agony behind his screams made Elena want to run as far away as she could, but she knew she had to be there for him, just like he had been for her. She began tracing small circles on the back of his hand, hoping that if she could just give him the slightest bit of reassurance, it could help him.

"I'm here, Damon. I won't leave you."

Stefan was waiting by the road when Bonnie pulled up behind his car. The witch narrowed her eyes and slammed the door of the vehicle shut as she marched towards him.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

"Who do you think told Caroline to send you out here?" Stefan replied coolly, his façade up once again.

"Leave Caroline alone, Stefan," Bonnie demanded. "Leave me alone," she said, shaking her head before turning back to the car.

Stefan ran to stop in front of her, grabbing her arm, not with force, but with urgency.

"Bonnie. Damon's in trouble," he said seriously, fear showing in his eyes. "Bonnie, I know that neither of us deserve your help, and I'm sorry for what happened to your mom. But please, if you help my brother, you can get the Grimoire from where you left it, and we'll never bother you again."

Before Bonnie could respond to Stefan's plea, Elena's panicked voice rang through the air.

"Stefan!"

His brown eyes seemed to beg the witch, who, though not one hundred percent alright with the idea, nodded. They both took off running to where Elena and Damon were.

What they found when they got there was what seemed like an unconscious Damon and a very shaken up Elena.

"He just…stopped screaming and went limp," Elena explained, her face wet with tears. She looked at Stefan with a terror in her eyes he had only seen when Klaus was about to sacrifice her.

The vampire shook his head at her unasked question. "He's not dead, Elena."

Elena nodded, trying to regain her composure before looking at Bonnie. "So you're going to help?" she asked carefully, standing up.

With a heavy sigh, Bonnie nodded. Though she was still harboring resentment towards the girl, they were best friends and she hated seeing her so upset.

Elena walked up to her and embraced the witch, not just in thanks for helping Damon, but in apology for everything that had happened between them since the paranormal activities of the town had come to light.

"I'm so sorry, Bonnie. For everything. It's all because of me," she said in a tearful voice, squeezing her friend.

Bonnie's reluctance wore down before long, and she was returning the hug, stroking her friend's brown hair to soothe her. She wasn't going to say it was okay, because both of them knew it wasn't, but she could say what Elena was hoping for, and what Bonnie had searched herself for all night.

"I forgive you, Elena. You can't help what you are. You didn't ask to be the doppelgänger, you couldn't have known everything it would lead to. I am going to need a little time, though, just to deal with my mom. It won't have any effect on our friendship, I just need time," she told the sniffling girl, tears slowly falling from her own eyes.

Elena pulled back from the girl, wiping the remaining tears from her eyes as she nodded. The two girls shared a melancholy smile before the witch made her way over to Damon and Elena made her way over to stand next to Stefan.

Bonnie kneeled before the unconscious vampire before placing a hand on his wrist. She could feel the spirits of the witches around her, and she could tell they were angry.

Elena was watching her friend intensely as the man beside her was alternating between anxious and stoic. She noticed his facial fluctuations and crossed her arms as she stared at Bonnie and Damon.

"Your humanity's showing," the brunette quipped.

"But I was your girlfriend, Stefan! Your girlfriend who spent months looking for you, who never stopped loving you through everything," she shot, trying to keep her voice low so Bonnie could focus. She took a step closer to Stefan, now looking him in the eyes. "Why can you show your emotions for your brother, but not me?"

"Because, Elena, I hurt you. And I know I did, and I hate myself for it," he explained, looking away. A small, sad smirk appeared on his lips as he looked back at the girl he loved. "Besides, you stopped loving me a while ago." You just haven't realized it.

"Stefan, what are you-"

Damon's screams rang out through the trees again, just as chilling as the first time. Bonnie's voice was barely audible above them.

"Elena, Stefan! I think I know what's wrong with him."

There it is, chapter 1! I'm actually going to start chapter 2 as soon as I upload this. This WILL be a Delena story, but I really want them to grow into it, and I don't want to make Stefan a huge douche for no reason. Please review and tell me what you think!