"Damon are you okay?" Stefan asked when he saw the tortured look on his face, listening to her heartbreaking crying.
"No I am not okay! Why the hell would she do that! She could have been safe all these years but she threw that away to be with them! Why!" Damon shouted angrily.
"Same way you did for me. You had every chance to run away when you grew up, you were a man when I was a child and yet you still stayed, you stayed for me, and yes, I know it's not in the same way, because you did it to protect me and she did it knowing that they'd be fine but she just couldn't leave them. She loved them, she couldn't live without them no matter how much pain she had to endure, you were worse than her in the sense that you took the blame for me, you took the brunt of father's anger to protect me, you were always there for me as she is for them. You both are so alike you know." Stefan commented as he swallowed trying to control the tears the memories brought back.
Damon refused to look at him at that, he wasn't the same boy anymore, neither of them were, but, he supposed they still had their moments. He didn't want to dwell on what had happened before when he was a human but Stefan's words still helped him to understand Lilah, because it's what he would have done, it's what he did do. Stefan walked towards him and not knowing what came over him, he hugged him, the memories that he had tried his best not to think about had just come rushing back and he, he just needed to hug him. Damon was shocked at the gesture, he had meant to push him away, but instead his arms wrapped around him as well.
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Delilah went after Elena only to see her in tears, she immediately went to her and wrapped her in a much-needed hug. Elena cried as she held her sister, she went through so much pain just to stay with them and God, that hurt.
"Lena, hey it's ok," Delilah said as she stroked her hair.
"No it's not okay," Elena sobbed and Delilah sighed as she just held her. Jeremy came from behind them, and one look at Lilah immediately had a tear trailing down his cheek. Delilah pulled him into the hug at that and that was when the damn broke for him, he'd been holding it in since he found out about Anna's death but at the comfort she provided after that memory, he couldn't hold it anymore as she pressed a kiss to both their heads.
"I don't want you both to ever think it was your fault, ok? I stayed because I wanted to, I stayed because I loved you both, and like hell Grayson was going to separate us like that. I never meant for you both to find out like this, because I never wanted you to feel like this, they were your parents and they loved you. I couldn't take that away from you and I couldn't stay away from you either. I love you both, ok? That's all that matters now." Delilah tried to calm them down and thankfully it worked as moments later they both calmed down. Delilah pulled away from the hug and wiped both of their tears before pressing a kiss to their foreheads and ruffling their hair affectionately. They smiled at each other before making their way back inside where they found the brothers conversing friendlier than they had ever been before.
