Authors Note: Vampire Diaries belong to L. J. Smith and the CW. I do not own them. If I did own them we'd see something like below when the season begins.
Elena entered the grill and found that Caroline had beat her there and already had a booth for them. "Hey" she said with a smile as she sat down across from her friend. "Any word from Tyler yet?."
The blonde shook her head sadly. It had been a week since graduation, a week since Klaus had told Caroline that he was allowing Tyler to come home. Unfortunately, Caroline had not been able to get a hold of her boyfriend. Sheriff Forbes was using her contact to try to track him down.
Elena reached across the table a squeezed Caroline's hand. "Don't worry, you'll get him back here. In the mean time why don't you come with Jeremy, Damon and me out to the lake house. We'll roast s'mores, drink, and prove to Damon that vampires do like to swim."
The waitress came by at that moment to take their order. Both girls order double cheese burgers, fries and milk shakes. Alcohol was off limits at the grill since the mayor, Bonnie's father, had the whole town unwittingly drink vervain infused water. No compelling the wait staff.
When the waitress left the table, Caroline questioned her friend. "Isn't Stefan coming too?"
Elena played with her napkin. She hadn't had a chance yet to tell Caroline or Bonnie about the change in her relationship status. She really wished Bonnie wasn't visiting her mom so she could get this discussion over and done with both her friends. "No, Stefan left right after graduation. He sent texts to Damon and me saying that he was going to road trip for a few weeks. He'll be back by Autumn."
"Why didn't he take you with him?" Caroline started. I know you just got Jeremy back but it would have been the perfect opportunity to make up for lost time now that everything is quiet again."
"Caroline," Elena interupted. "Stefan and I are not back together." She took a breath as the waitress set down their food. "I chose Damon, Caroline."
Caroline nearly spit out milkshake at the brunette's admission. "Oh my GOD! You're still sired to him. Switching off your emotions didn't nullify the sire bond, did it?"
"No, Caroline, the sire bond is long gone. Damon confirmed that when he gave me the cure and asked me to drink it. I told him know even though part of me really wanted to take it."
"But then why did you choose him over Stefan?"
"Because I'm in love with him and have been for a while. I just couldn't bring myself to admit it even to myself while I was human."
"But you and Stefan are epic, Elena. How could you give that up?"
Elena giggles and then said in her best Inigo Montoya impression, "That word, I do not think it means what you think it means."
"Huh?" Caroline did not get the reference.
"Epic," Elena prompted her friend. "You use that term a lot to describe mine and Stefan's relationship but what is so epic about it?"
"Well," Caroline searched her memory for examples of why her two friends had an epic love story. "Look at how you met, he saved your life several times and you brought him back from the edge. You would separate and then find yourselves drawn back together again and again."
Elena shook her head. You also just described my relationship with Damon. He's saved me time and again, fought to regain his humanity for me, and loved me even when I was with Stefan ."
"But..."
Caroline, I was seventeen when I fell for Stefan. As far as first loves go, I don't think I could have asked for better. But it was my first love and not my last."
"But, you and Stefan are just.." Caroline tried again. "And Damon's just wrong."
"Okay," Elena , "Let's try looking at it this way. Is Tyler your epic love?"
"What do you mean?"
"Well, you two have been through a lot, your transition, his coping with being a hybrid, Klaus keeping you apart. That sounds pretty epic to me."
"I do love Tyler," Caroline stated
"But you're not sure its so epic?" Elena asked. "And with Klaus declaring that he intends to be your last love, you're wondering if maybe he's destined to be your epic love."
Caroline's eyes were beginning to water so Elena continued. "Maybe every love is epic while we're part of it. I don't know if Damon and I will always be in love, but I know how I feel about him right here and now, and that's pretty epic to me."
Caroline sniffled. "So even Matt was epic?"
"Wasn't he for you too?"
"Yeah, I guess he was."
The girls smiled at each other and continued their meal.