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HURRIEDLY, THE SALVATORE BROTHERS scampered about the house in a panic, unsure with what to do. The only way to protect Estella and themselves was to leave, but they were unprepared to live on their own even if they still had each other. It was a foreign concept to them, to survive in the real world by themselves instead of the sheltered town of Mystic Falls surrounded by money, power, influence, and glory. Protection from the true dangers that lurked about past the town's limit.
"We must leave now if we are to make it without getting caught," Damon ushered his brother, taking Estella from his arms.
"Let us go quickly then. We mustn't waste any more time," Stefan left the house first, making sure that Giuseppe was asleep and wasn't going to wake up anytime soon.
The two brothers were worried for their little star because of what had occurred earlier with their father and Katherine Pierce. They were thankful that Giuseppe wanted Estella gone because then they could leave with her.
"Dada. Day," Estella blubbered, trying to reach for the other, but when she was transferred into the opposite brother's arms, she reached for the other one again, which they usually found to be cute. But now was not the time for that.
Leaving her in the arms of her father, Damon held up the lamp so they could see where they were going when all of a sudden they heard a gunshot and froze.
Stefan didn't feel a bullet and Estella wasn't injured, so he turned to Damon and felt tears in his eyes. Damon was shot.
Gently setting his daughter down, he ran over to his brother, but heard another gunshot, this time feeling the bullet painfully get shot in him.
The two brothers died, looking at one another and the little girl that brought love and light to their lives, while she just sat there not knowing what was going on. She only started to cry when they didn't respond to her shaking them, trying to get them to wake up, which indicated that they had died, leaving the toddler to bawl her eyes out, confused and scared.
A few hours had passed before the Salvatore brothers woke up, and realized what had just happened before making their way over to Estella. They could feel their hunger for blood, but didn't make any move to hurt Estella, her being their only control, knowing that if they hurt her they could never live with themselves.
But they were going to complete the transition; for Estella. So that she could grow up with them and have a loving uncle and father who would do anything for her and her safety.
Stefan picked up his daughter, and started to walk back to their house with Damon. They saw Giuseppe sitting there sipping bourbon. When they entered the house, he looked shocked but then his face filled up with hatred.
"You're one of them now, aren't you? A vampire? A monster?" Giuseppe spat out.
"No, not yet," Stefan replied ominously, before walking towards his father slowly, smacking the glass cup out of his hands so it shattered and picked up one of the broken pieces. He then took it and stabbed Giuseppe in the neck, feeling the need to feed on the blood that started to spill, and he did. He completed the transition to becoming a vampire, and gestured for Damon to do the same, which he didn't hesitate in doing.
Stefan and Damon both swore to never let anyone hurt their little star and get away with it, and that included their father as well.
Making sure that Estella was still occupied so she wasn't watching the scene in front of her, Stefan walked away with her into another room, rubbing small circles on her back to get her to fall asleep so they would have an easier time starting on their journey somewhere else tomorrow.
When Stefan heard Estella's slow breathing indicating that she had fallen asleep, he smiled sadly.
"I hope I'm doing good, Val. I hope you're proud of me. I love you and her, forever," he whispered, more to himself than anybody.
Forever.
Now that Stefan was a vampire forever was a long time.
