AN: Truth be told I am no storyteller so I hope you can forgive any mistakes I will undoubtedly make while trying to share this story with you, but it has been on my mind for quite some time now. This story is not based on spoilers, it steams from my own imagination and hopes for one of my favourite couples in television. I own nothing but the idea.

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31st of December

Mystic Falls has never been as beautiful as that day, that last day of December, the day that the blonde goddess that used to rule the town together with her best friends a lifetime ago finally returned home after a long absence. People simply had to stop and stare at the strange, beautiful, young woman standing on the snow covered grass of the town square. Everyone could see the determination in her eyes despite the tears that threatened to fall, yet no one understood how someone like her could possibly be visiting their quaint, forgotten by time small town. But what did they know…

The young woman whose heart felt like breaking all over again simply stood there, observing the people passing by, breathing in the fresh air. No one could possibly understand what was in her heart as none of them knew what it was like to live forever. Despite it all, despite the tears in her eyes she was finally at peace. In all these years, there has not been one place she missed more then this small town that was once her home, the town where all the people she ever loved lived at some point. After all this time she was ready to confront all her memories, the memories she tried so hard to hold on, but still tried not to think of too often. Caroline could not complain as she lived a happy and long life despite everything she had to go through, but no matter how many people she had to see leave her life for ever, nothing compared to the feeling of seeing her home deserted and full of people who did not know her and her friends, of people who were oblivious of all the things they lost in the many fight that occurred between the supernatural beings. They did not know such beings even existed. Time washed away all traces of those horrendous events that took place so many years ago. Finally peace dominated the town that seemed to have been cursed ever since it was first inhabited and that peace helped Caroline feel more comfortable and less anxious of being back.

The reason Caroline decided to return at this exact moment was due to the fact that the people she loved were either long gone or living far away, finally having found someone to share their lives with. It was time for them to part ways, but they knew they would see each other again at some point, after all they would wonder the Earth until the end of time. Now it was her time to find out what her next big adventure would be, but first she had to say goodbye to her past for the very last time. It was time to start a new chapter of her life, to let go of all the pain that still remained, despite the happiness she felt along the way.

If someone were to ask her if she would do it all over again or whether she would change the past if she could, the answer would be yes, with no shadow of a doubt she would be willing to endure all of it once more. All the years she spent with Stefan were very important to her, no matter how their relationship ended, she was proud to still be able to call him her friend. Those precious moments that she shared with Alaric were more than she could have hoped for, especially after she was turned. Having been given the gift of being pregnant was more than enough for her. As a human she desired nothing more than having a family, but once she died she had to accept that she would never know what it felt like having a small being inside her womb, yet she was lucky enough to have felt the impossible.

As people started gathering around the gazebo on the town square, the eternally beautiful blonde directed her steps towards the places she spent most of her human life at. First she stopped at the Grill where she started thinking of all the times she had been there with Bonnie and Elena when they were simple teenagers without the burden of knowing about the hidden from sight world that they were introduced to way too soon. She missed her two best friends tremendously, but she knew that they were finally happy and at peace. Throughout her life, Caroline had to comprehend that this was their destiny, that things were meant to happen the way they did as that was what got them where they are now. When one lives forever, there is not point in having regrets. She had to learn to love and enjoy the life she was given. Simple as that.

Seeing all the houses brought back so many memories, but Caroline knew that it had to be done. It was time for a new beginning. She could not postpone the inevitable. Her last stop was her house, or what was left of it as the people living there changed most of it, but it was fundamentally the same, at least to her. No matter how much time passes, that place will forever be her house, the place where she shared so many memories with her mother. Liz was the person Caroline missed the most as there were so many things she wanted to tell her and she was no longer able to do so. Being back in Mystic Falls made Caroline realise that she forgave her mother for leaving her alone too soon and forgave herself for feeling angry at Liz for dying. It seems that this was the one thing holding her back, the one thing that did not allow her to be completely happy.

Once the tour was complete Caroline turned towards her car and left her home for the last time without looking back as she finally knew what she had to do. Just as the church bells started ringing signalling the end of the year the only words that could be heard on the bridge just outside the town were "Goodbye" and "thank you for the memories".