Dear readers, I am back ! With a long fiction, no less. I sincerely hope you will like this and review like crazy because working on this got me SO excited. Now, I guess there's only one thing to say.

"Hello, my lovelies. Are we ready?"

- M. -

Five years. Two hundred and sixty weeks. One thousand eight hundred and twenty days. Forty-three thousand six hundred and eighty hours. This is how long their lives have not been the same. This is how long Stefan Salvatore has been missing, taken away from his loved ones and turned into one of the cruelest evils the country has known in a while.

Caroline feels like she has to keep counting the days in order to keep looking. Sometimes, she considers turning off her emotions and just giving up. But then, she remembers the things they have lost in this painful search and she decides that she can't let it all go to waste.

Even though the passing of time should matter little to her as an immortal creature, Caroline is very aware of it. With every second, Mystic Falls forgets about Stefan, the vampire, the man, the student, the lover. She wonders if it still makes sense to look for him. He doesn't belong in Mystic Falls anymore. Rather, he does not belong with them anymore.

The vampire takes a look at her reflection in the mirror. She is incredibly glad that the "vampire don't have reflections and don't appear on photos" myth is fake. Her blonde curls frame her face perfectly, underlining her high cheek bones and mesmerizing blue eyes. It is absolutely impossible to tell that she was to celebrate her twenty-third birthday in a few weeks – eternal life means that she could avoid wrinkles and look seventeen for the rest of eternity.

Five years ago, Caroline Forbes was a damsel in distress. She had been turned into a vampire against her will and it was ruining her life. Her personality was killing her and she needed advice to keep it together. She was caught in an awkward love triangle between a human and a werewolf, and in the middle of the most critical crisis a mother and a daughter could face. She had made such a habit of ditching school that her graduation was close to jeopardy.

And look at me now, she thinks with a certain pride. She has managed to graduate from high-school and she is building a career for herself in the local news station. She has become a permanent member of the Council; she serves as a vice-president to Damon – which means she has a lot on her hands these days. Sherriff Liz Forbes keeps her daughter's secret, as she should; it gives their relationship a certain balance and they are very committed to the "no questions asked" policy. Matt is living a normal life that he treasures; he shares a room with Tyler at Duke. Both have been granted a football scholarship and are proud members of the Blue Devils. With Jeremy and Elena, who still live on Maple Street, they meet on the first Tuesday of every month for Tyler's Wine Night and it is always the highlight of her month.

Caroline parks her car and opens the door. It is around five in the afternoon and she was absolutely delighted when she was sent home this early – but of course it was too good to be true. She picks up her bag and the ridiculously big file she has brought from work. She hates being an intern but she knows it will lead to something better someday. So she puts up a good face and does as she is told.

As usual, as soon as she gets out of her car, Caroline makes herself more alert to everything around her. It's been five years of constant vigilance. It gets exhausting but now she doesn't even notice anymore. She listens attentively to the sound of the wind; she hears small animals running scared from the predator that she is. Her nose picks up the scent of wet grass; her eyes frantically explore her surroundings, looking for a tall and dark figure. Of course, Stefan is never there. Everyone makes fun of her for believing that one day, when she comes home, he will be there. Where else could he go?

She pushes the door of the boarding house open and makes her way to the living room. The thing with her life is, it gets awfully predictable sometimes. As soon as he hears her drop her car keys, Damon Salvatore greets her with a "What are you doing here, it's early!" that she is mouthing in sync with him. She can smell alcohol all over the place. All the curtains are pulled and the first thing she does when her hands are free is let the sun shine in. "What the hell, Caroline!" Once again she is whispering as he yells. He is sitting on the couch with an empty glass in his hand. Today has not been a bad day, she thinks while picking up the only empty bottle of tequila from the carpet. "Leave it, I can take care of it," he grunts. "I don't mind," she just replies with a smile. It is beyond her why he keeps trying to get drunk when he knows his system won't allow it. As long as it distracts him from breaking necks and biting cheerleaders, she thinks, half-amused.

Yes, time should matter little to creatures of their kind, but Damon Salvatore seems to be an exception to the rule. Caroline has been really overwhelmed with work for the last two weeks. She has barely seen Damon and she cannot believe her eyes when she finally lays eyes on him. She heaves a deep, desperate sigh.

"What's with the beard, Damon? You look hideous."

"Who cares, anyway. I'm not leaving this house ever again."

Caroline sighs. Okay, maybe he can be a little drunk. She hates when he acts like a child and this is the only thing he does right lately. So she acts like a mother and shakes her head.

"I don't have time for this, I've brought work."

"Don't you always, sweet Caroline?" Damon asks in a sing-song voice.

For a split second, Caroline considers stabbing him, just to get a reaction. He has been vegetating for a month now, ever since they came back from Mexico. They had heard about a new massacre in a small village near Tijuana that undeniably bore The Ripper's trademark (they never referred to his brother as 'Stefan' when it came to murders). They should have left immediately after they witnessed Stefan's atrocities. Damon felt unexpectedly tired of playing "Criminal Minds", of trying to guess where the two monsters would go next. Upset Damon plus Tijuana equals … bad news. By the time she managed to drag him out of every single bar in town, he was an alcoholic and quite a drug-addict, too. Of course, he can drink and use all he wants; it will never do him any physical harm. However, Caroline does not approve of this behavior; he is always finding new excuses to stay home and it is not like him to run from things. She is getting worried, now.

"Get your ass in the bathroom. Now," she orders.

They have been close for a long time now, and Damon knows that she simply won't take no for an answer. If he wants her to shut up, he has to do as she says. Next thing he knows, they are in his fancy bathroom. She asks him to sit on the bathtub and keep quiet. She conscientiously spreads shaving foam on his cheeks and chin; it is obvious to him that she had never done this before and he has this look in his eyes. Caroline would blush if she could; he has not looked at her with tenderness in forever. So yes, she gets a little distracted but she keeps trying to do it properly, even if she keeps inflicting him little cuts. Being the big badass vampire that he is, he doesn't flinch. When she is done, she wipes away the remainder of shaving foam from his face. "That's more like it!" she brags, earning a smile from Damon.

"My mom is freakin' out, Damon. Mrs Lockwood won't give us a break until she sees you at the office. Please?"

Caroline can't help a smile when Damon nods. She refuses to let him drown when Stefan is yet to be rescued, when so much has been sacrificed. She is there for him, just like he was there for her when she needed him.