"Congratulations, you caught me off guard," I said from inside the cage, weak from the vervain. "Now what."

"Well that's entirely up to you," Stefan answered. Apparently they had managed to get Pamela restrained to prevent her from hurting herself as per my instructions, Matt was with her now.

"I'm not sure that's a good idea on your part," I said, glancing at Elena.

Stefan looked uncomfortable for a minute before he backed away from the door, "We'll leave you to think."

"Aw," I teased, "you don't want to stick around for my story?"

Without another word, Stefan and Elena walked away leaving Damon and I to ourselves.

"You know your brothers in love with me," I whispered in a mocking tone.

Damon seemed unfazed by this information and simply smirked, "See you around."

I sat on the rock that was in the cell and waited for someone to come antagonize me, beg me to turn it back on, just something.

Although I'm sure this is what they want. They want me riled up so they can take advantage of it. I wouldn't let them win.

I closed my eyes and hummed silently to myself.

"Evie?" Jeremy's voice echoed throughout the cell. I had to bite my tongue to keep my eyes from widening in surprise. I forgot about Jeremy. How could I forget about Jeremy? Because you don't care enough to. Of course I care, he's my brother. Don't kid yourself. 

I sat up on the rock and faced him, "So are you their errand boy or just their distraction?"

"Neither. I'm your brother and I don't like seeing you this way."

I let out a laugh and shook my head, "You're not my brother. We're cousins, big difference."

He looked hurt by this comment but didn't leave, "Well you're still my sister. Even if it's not by blood."

"Blood," I licked my lips instinctively, "God, blood sounds so good right now."

Jeremy shook his head slightly, "Can't help you with that."

"But maybe you can," I said before vamp speeding over and pinning him against the wall. "Just one little bite…"

I extended my teeth but before I could do anything I was yanked off of him and thrown to the floor.

"What the hell?" I groaned, looking at the culprit.

"Get out of here Jeremy," Elena said to him as I stood up, Stefan standing between us to stop me from doing anything.

"Relax, I'm not gonna hurt your precious Elena," I shrugged, brushing the dirt off of Elena's shirt. "Some new clothes would be nice though. These just...aren't me."

"So this is what you've resorted to? Hurting your brother?" Elena questioned, standing at Stefan's side.

"Aren't you two the power couple?" I said sarcastically, "I would hate for anything to happen to that…"

"Evelyn," Stefan warned and Elena looked at him in confusion.

"Let me go and I won't bring it up again," I raised an eyebrow.

"Bring what up?" Elena asked, looking between Stefan and I.

"I can't do that," Stefan shook his head, ignoring Elena.

"But I think you can. Let me go. I'll leave town, stay out of your way."

"No."

I tilted my head slightly before looking at my sister, "Do you want to know?"

Stefan looked between us warily as Elena answered, "What's going on?"

A smirk took over my face as I looked from Stefan to Elena, "Remember when Stefan was high on human blood?"

"Evelyn, don't."

Ignoring him, Elena answered, "Yes."

"Well that night, after everything that happened with Tyler and Matt's mom, Stefan came to 'check up on me,'" I said, recalling that night's events. "Of course he compelled me to forget so I didn't remember till I died. Anyway, he did his usual, 'everything's going to be okay' and 'you'll get through it' speel. That was to be expected but what happened after was what was unexpected to all. Or maybe just to me. I was whining as usual and was all 'no one will ever love me,'" I spoke in a mocking tone, "then Stefan told me he loved me. Of course I thought he meant as a friend until he explained that he was in fact in love with me."

Elena's eyes had glazed over in tears as she tried to fight them back. She looked at Stefan with a look of hurt written all over her face before she walked out.

Stefan looked at me for a moment in anger, "Is this what you wanted?"

I was slightly taken aback by his response, "Well, I-"

"You know what?" Stefan cut me off, "You want to be left alone? Have fun rotting away in here."

He walked out, locking the cell door behind him.

I was alone for who knows how long when a new person joined, "I heard what you did."

I turned to look at him, a proud smile on my face, "Which time?"

"Stefan and Elena," Tyler answered, "It's not you, Evie."

I sat up and narrowed my eyes, "You don't know me."

"Look, I know we haven't really been on the best terms lately, and that’s on me. But I want you to know that I still care about you."

"Oh really?" I asked, "Because from what I heard you got all bitter with one of my friends from when I had humanity and almost got her killed. People who allegedly care about someone don't do that."

"That was a misunderstanding," Tyler shook his head. 

"You should go before I decide to snap your neck. I've been told I can be careless."

He opened his mouth to speak when someone else did, "She's right, you should go."

Tyler looked back at Alaric who stood inside the cell. He glanced at me for a moment before exiting, leaving Alaric and I alone.

"Wow," I spoke, "They're really going above and beyond with this. Who else is out there waiting? Matt? Caroline? Jenna?"

"There is no one else."

"I know exactly what you are all trying to do. News flash: It won't work."

"Yeah, and what's that?" Alaric asked.

"Flooding me with all the 'good' things in my life. Trying to make me feel any emotion at all," I answered simply. "I remember what it was like to feel Alaric and it sucked."

I stood up and faced him, "I was in pain and none of you noticed. Or at least none of you cared enough to do anything about it. I plastered on a smile and said that I was fine and you all believed it to an extent. The voice in my head wasn't the only thing wrong with me, Ric. I remembered things. Things from when I was younger and when I was still with Scott. I thought I knew all the things he had done to me but I really didn't, not anywhere close to everything. And my dad...my dad was not a good man like everyone thought he was to say the least. So no, any of your stupid antics won't work because yeah, sure there are nice feelings but they do nothing when your drowning in all of the bad ones."

"It doesn't have to be that way."

I scoffed, looking at the wall for a moment, "Sending you alone was a bad idea."

"And why's that?" he asked.

"Because I can do this," I said before using a burst of energy on vamp speeding over and snapping his neck, glancing at the ring on his finger as his body hit the floor.

I opened the door to the cell but was stopped when someone stronger pushed me back inside, "Nice try."

I backed into the room and rolled my eyes, "Of course you're next."

"It was a weak move."

"What was?" I questioned.

"Killing Alaric," Damon answered, "We knew you would try that."

"Of course you did."

We remained silent for a moment merely taking the time to read each other.

"So that's it huh?" he asked calmly, "You're just done caring, done feeling. Even after everything we've been through?" He gestured between the two of us before continuing, "Everything we've all been through."

"I never cared in the first place."

His eyes snapped to mine and I could see the hurt he felt from my words that he tried to hide. That small, minute amount of humanity that I had shoved so far down wanted to come out but the stronger part of me wouldn't let it.

"So I meant nothing to you?" 

"Yes," I answered, swallowing my last bit of humanity, "You meant nothing to me."

He let out a deep almost inhumane chuckle, "God, how did I let this happen?"

I narrowed my eyes at him before he continued.

"I was the big, bad, older Salvatore brother with no heart. I was perfectly content with being hated by everyone. But you…" he trailed off, shaking his head and I could feel the humanity wanting to reemerge, "You broke down the wall that I had built up and you made me care. And that, that is on you."

I opened my mouth to speak but ultimately closed it, unable to say anything. I wanted to tell him that I still love him and I do care but I also knew that if I let myself care, I would fall apart and I can't have that. So I said nothing at all and watched as the love of my life slowly spiraled into the abyss of his own mind and I did nothing to help him.

And he was right because that was on me. And it's something I would never be able to forgive myself for.