Something
Stefan was clutching a tumbler of bourbon, staring into the amber liquid with tears clinging to his lashes, the last shreds of his shattered heart falling to nothing within his chest.
Today was the worst day of his life.
Caroline and Ric's wedding day.
He closed his eyes shut tight, pain like he'd never known before slicing through him at the thought. He didn't think it was possible to feel any more broken than he had when he'd drunkenly called Caroline and confessed how much he still loved her only to hear nothing in response. Turns out he was wrong. Nothing could have prepared him for the utter soul crushing agony he'd felt when his invitation had arrived in the mail.
It had just about killed him.
As soon as he saw what it was he knew he couldn't go. He couldn't just sit there and watch Caroline smile at Ric and promise her life to him. He couldn't just smile and pretend like it wasn't tearing him apart to watch Caroline marry someone who wasn't him. He couldn't sit quietly and not jump up to declare that she wasn't meant for Ric but for him.
So instead of subjecting himself to that torture he was in his apartment drinking as much as possible to try and forget what today was. It wasn't working. All he could do was stare at the hands of the clock as they counted down to the moment that Caroline Forbes would become Caroline Saltzman.
He clenched his hand so tight around his glass that it shattered in his hand. He shook the pieces out of his hand, the smears of blood where the glass had cut him were already healing, hiding the evidence of his loss of control. Shame his heart couldn't heal in the same way, but the wound he had was deeper, a jagged scar that would never heal. He was resigned to feeling the pain of Caroline's loss for the rest of his life.
Stefan went over to pour himself another drink when he heard his apartment door open. The only one who ever came in without knocking was his brother, and he wasn't in the frame of mind to deal with him. Not today. He glanced over at the clock that had been mocking him all day, any minute now Caroline would be marrying Ric, and Damon should be there. He knocked back his drink and called out to his brother, "You should still be there, Damon. I don't need to be checked in on. I'm fine."
Damon said nothing only moving closer to him.
Stefan clenched his jaw in irritation, wanting to be left alone. He tried again to get rid of his brother, "I'm fine, Damon. I just want to be left alone."
The footsteps stopped right behind him and just as he registered the hint of vanilla in the air a voice he'd been craving to hear for months spoke, "You know, I really thought you would have left by now."
Stefan spun around so quick that if he wasn't a vampire he would have given himself whiplash. He stared at Caroline with wide eyes, looking at her as if she was a hallucination, unable to believe that she was really standing in front of him. He released her name in a shocked whisper, in a similar way to how he'd said Damon's name all those years ago when he'd come back from the dead, "Caroline?"
Caroline didn't look at Stefan just yet, letting her eyes wander the apartment instead, frowning at all the empty bottles of alcohol littered around the room. Her heart ached at the sight of his pain.
Stefan still wasn't convinced that she was real. She couldn't be standing in front of him right now as she was marrying another man. He glanced at the clock again, his heart beginning to beat faster, she was supposed to be there right this moment. He looked back at Caroline and allowed himself to really take her in and he promptly lost the ability to breathe.
Caroline was a vision in white. Her wedding dress was classy and elegant. A beaded bodice hugged her chest, modestly covering her cleavage but leaving her lovely shoulders bare, her skirt fanned out around her in several layers of white lace. Her hair was tied up, he couldn't see what style it was but he was sure it would be in a bun. Just like prom. Pain ripped through him at the memory, prom was when she told him he would find love again, though neither of them knew in that moment that it would be with each other.
She was absolutely stunning, and made his heart race at her timeless beauty. He tried to ignore the pang in his heart that she wore this for another man, because she was here now, standing in front of him and for the first time in nearly a year he felt the first flutters of hope fill his stomach with butterflies.
Caroline ran her hands over her stomach in nervousness, her breath catching in her throat as she asked him again, "Why didn't you leave?"
Stefan smiled tearfully at her, his voice tight with emotion as he answered, "How could I leave? You're here."
Caroline looked down, a tear rolling down her cheek, the heartbreak she'd kept hidden for so long evident in her voice, "You did before."
"Caroline..." Stefan reached out to touch her before pulling his hand back, not sure whether he was allowed that right, not yet at least.
Caroline raised her glassy eyes to meet his, her lips trembling as she told him, "I need to know the truth, Stefan."
Stefan nodded, knowing that this was the moment, his chance to explain himself to listening ears and hopefully move forward together. He was praying with all that he had that they would be doing this together. He motioned his hand toward the chairs, "Shall we sit?"
Caroline walked over to the chair, smoothing her dress beneath her as she took her seat. She leaned over towards the table and poured herself a drink. Seeing Stefan's amused expression she smirked back, "I think we're gonna need it."
Stefan chuckled, unable to stop the smile from spreading across his face at the fact Caroline could show a positive emotion towards him. He poured himself his own drink and took the chair opposite her. His chest ached at the memories that hit him of years past, him and her sitting across from each other in front of a fireplace; talking, laughing, solving problems together, becoming best friends, then later falling in love. Such wonderfully bittersweet memories.
"Caroline, I left..." Stefan swallowed as he gazed into those sad blue eyes of hers, wanting to wipe away every bit of hurt he'd caused her, he knew he couldn't, but he hoped that he could heal some of her wounds, "I left to protect you."
Caroline couldn't help but scoff. She was so sick of the people she loved leaving her to protect her. She wished they would stay and fight with her. Stefan and his stupid hero hair.
"I didn't want Rayna to use you to get to me." Stefan couldn't help but look down as he admitted his reasons to Caroline, not having the courage to look into her eyes and see the hurt there, "I didn't want to put your kids in danger. I thought the best thing was to leave you to live your life without me, and to give you the chance to have the life you'd never thought you'd get to have after becoming a vampire." He looked over at her, his stomach clenching at the tears in her eyes, his own filling his eyes as he confessed brokenly, "I always meant to come back for you. In my heart there was only ever you. I wanted that scar gone so that I could just be with you."
"Then what happened?" Caroline asked, angrily wiping at the tear that fell down her cheek, "How come it took you three years? And in the end I saved you."
"Valerie and I searched the world and came up empty every time. After a year I lost hope of ever seeing you again, and I was lonely so I used Valerie as a distraction from the pain of missing you." Stefan frowned at that, hindsight rearing it's head again now that he was looking closer at the past. Why did they never find an answer no matter where they went in the world? Yet Caroline had found the answer and saved him from the scar in barely a week. The answer was obvious to him now, but Caroline helpfully supplied it for him anyway.
"It never occurred to you that Valerie could be manipulating you into losing hope and being with her? That she wanted you all to herself? And the only way she could have that would be to keep you running with her?" Caroline asked knowingly. She had been so insecure about Valerie when she and Stefan were together, because she knew that Valerie was still in love with him and would jump at the chance to be with him again, and she was afraid that the allure of first love would be too much for Stefan to resist.
"Not at the time, no." Stefan admitted, shaking his head at his stupidity at just blindly trusting Valerie and everything she'd said because she had helped Caroline when the twins had started siphoning from her magical blood which would have killed her, and because she had run from Rayna before being trapped in the prison world. He knew that she loved him but she was also very much aware that he only loved Caroline. He was such an idiot.
"You are an idiot, Stefan." Caroline's words were harsh but her tone held a touch of affection.
"I know." Stefan agreed, smiling widely as he was rewarded with her laugh and the smile that took his breath away. She was so beautiful that it made his heart ache.
Caroline let the smile slip from her lips as she gazed at Stefan, her heart skipping a beat just like it always had for him. She sighed, glancing at her lap briefly before meeting his eyes to ask, "Do you regret it?"
"Regret? Which part?" Stefan scoffed at himself, before turning his eyes back to the love of his life's, "Leaving you? Losing you? Spending years away from you? Trusting Valerie? Being with Valerie?"
"Yes." Caroline replied in a small voice, needing to know the answer with everything inside of her.
Stefan took a chance, reaching over to cover Caroline's hand with his, breath catching at the feel of her soft skin. He looked deeply into those breathtakingly blue eyes of hers, letting every single regret show in his gaze as he answered her honestly, "I regret all of it. Every single moment that I spent away from you I regret. Every decision I made that led me to lose you. I regret."
Caroline felt lighter after hearing that, and she finally let go of the last of her hurt and anger. She raised her hand up to brush her fingertips down his cheek, smiling at the awe on his face at her action, "You haven't lost me yet, Stefan."
"I haven't?" Stefan asked her in amazement, feeling his heart race in his chest, the hope now running wild within him.
Caroline just smiled back at him.
Stefan couldn't believe what he was hearing. He had started the day heartbroken, drinking to forget that Caroline was marrying Ric today, and instead she was in front of him telling him he hadn't lost her like he thought he had. It was his turn to need to know why she was here, why now, and not months ago. He kept her hand in his, not wanting to lose contact with her for even a second, and asked her, "Why are you here, Caroline? Today of all days."
Caroline looked away from him and sighed. She knew he would ask that question, and while she was prepared to answer him honestly it was still hard to talk about, "I realized that I shouldn't be marrying a man I don't truly love just because I was holding onto the hurt and anger that had been my constant in the last few years." She stroked her hand along the material of her wedding dress as she shook her head, "Ric deserves better than that."
Stefan was cautious with his happiness at hearing that, not wanting to get carried away before he heard everything she had to say. If they were to get back together, they needed to be completely honest with one another, so he took a deep breath before asking, "What happened today?"
"I was all ready to do it." Caroline stared off to the side as she answered, "I was planning on marrying Ric and being a happy family with our girls. I was all set to do just that."
"What changed your mind?" Stefan asked, trying to ignore the clench in his gut at her words about being a happy family.
Caroline laughed, the tears reflected in her eyes, "Damon."
Stefan's eyes widened in shock, "What?"
Caroline's eyes spilled with tears as she told Stefan what happened earlier at the church.
A few hours ago at the church...
Caroline was standing in front of the mirror staring at herself. She was getting married today. She couldn't find it in herself to be excited about it, because deep down inside she knew that she didn't truly love Ric, she cared for him, but she didn't love him not like he loved her.
But she had decided that this was going to be her life. She would marry Ric, raise the girls together, and spend the rest of his human life together. The image in front of her became blurry as her eyes filled up with tears. This was not how she had pictured her wedding.
We're planning a June Wedding.
She shook the thought away, trying not to think about him today, not when she was marrying someone else.
"It's not too late to change your mind, you know?" She heard from a voice she didn't expect.
She met Damon's eyes in the mirror as he came up behind her, her heart picking up speed whether the other Salvatore was with him somewhere in this church, "What?"
"Stefan's not here." Damon smirked as he heard her racing heart shudder to a stop, it was all the indication he needed that Stefan was not alone in his feelings.
Caroline tried to appear unaffected by the news, checking her makeup in the mirror to keep her hands busy, "Why would I care if he was here or not?"
"Because despite what you want my brother to think." Damon sent her a knowing look through the mirror, stating what everyone already knew besides Stefan, "You are still in love with him."
Caroline sputtered, trying to think of a denial even as her heart started to pick up speed again.
"Don't even try to deny it, blondie." Damon turned her around so that she faced him, glaring into her eyes as he told her, "You wouldn't hate him so much if you didn't still love him."
"What's your point, Damon?" Caroline didn't acknowledged whether he was right or not, even though she knew that the smug ass was right.
"My point, Caroline, is that it's not too late to stop this." Damon took hold of her shoulders, his face completely serious and devoid of any mocking whatsoever, "I love Ric, he's my best friend, and after everything he's been through he deserves to be happy." He smiled at her, his eyes gentle as he stroked his thumbs along her skin, "But I love my brother more. He is miserable without you. He spends his days drinking, completely alone, his heart breaking more and more the longer he's away from you."
Caroline felt like a vice was squeezing her chest, hearing how miserable Stefan was hurt her, even though she knew the pain he was going through because she had lived with that everyday after he had abandoned her.
"He loves you." Damon released her shoulders and took a step back. He tilted his head, giving Caroline a hard stare as he crossed his arms over his chest, "He knows he's made a mistake. But is it truly an unforgivable one? If it is, if you truly don't love him anymore than call him and let him go. Let him move on with his life and find happiness again."
Caroline blinked, her breathing becoming deeper as Damon's words started to penetrative her.
"If, however, you do still love him." Damon reached into his suit pocket and pulled out a piece of paper, "Then let Ric go. He'll understand, trust me. He probably already knows that you still love Stefan and not him." He held out the paper with Stefan's address to Caroline, "Go to Stefan. Let go of all that pain inside you and be together like you both want. It's not worth pushing him away just because you're hurt. I did it for a century and a half, hating him for something that was never his fault to begin with, and I almost lost my brother for good." His eyes glowed with pain for a moment, "It's not worth it."
Caroline stared at the paper in Damon's hand for a moment, debating with herself on whether she should take it or not before she finally let herself pluck it from his hand. She swallowed as she looked down at it, her stomach filling with butterflies in anticipation of seeing Stefan again.
She couldn't deny the way she felt about Stefan any longer.
Caroline finished telling Stefan what happened with Damon earlier. She looked over at him and waited for his reaction.
Stefan was in shock. He couldn't believe that Damon had done that for him, especially as he had been trying to get him to move on from her for months. Ever since the night of his drunken call to Caroline he had been trying to get him to go on a date with someone else but every time he told him no. His heart was Caroline's, whether she wanted it or not it was hers. Now out of the blue Damon was trying to help fix his shattered relationship. He had never been so grateful to his big brother before.
"Soo..." Stefan looked at her anxiously, his heart racing as he waited with baited breath for her answer, "What did you decide?"
Caroline shook her head and smiled, tears clinging to her lashes as she slid her palm against his and laced their fingers together, "What do you think?"
Stefan released the breath he was holding, tears of happiness filling his eyes, his heart repairing itself instantly. He raised their joined hands up to his lips and pressed a kiss to her delicate fingers, whispering hoarsely against them, "Please don't let this be a dream."
"It's not." Caroline scooted forward on the chair so that she could rest their foreheads together. She stared deeply into his green eyes, her heart skipping in her chest at the love shining bright in them, and finally told him, "I am sorry for hanging up on you that day. I was still so angry with you and wasn't willing to listen to what you had to say."
Stefan shook his head against her, raising his free hand up to cup her neck, "That doesn't matter anymore. I'm sorry that I didn't give you time to heal properly." He caressed his thumb across her neck, similar to the way he did when they kissed for the first time, "I was drunk and all I thought about was you. I thought that if you just heard how much I still loved you you would come running back into my arms." He closed his eyes at his stupidity, "So stupid and selfish, I know."
"We both made mistakes. What matters now is where we go from here." Caroline reassured him, wanting to put the past behind them and move on.
"Together?" Stefan had to ask, he had to know, had to be sure that this was real and that Caroline wanted to be with him as much as he wanted to be with her. He had to make sure it was real.
"Together." Caroline agreed, smiling lovingly at Stefan and finally allowed her heart free after caging it in her heart break. She looked deeply into his eyes and confessed the words that she needed to say and he needed to hear, "I love you, Stefan."
Stefan gasped, searching her eyes frantically to make sure she meant them, all he saw staring back at him was love, and he could cry with how truly happy he was. He leaned closer, brushing her nose against hers, and returned her feelings wholeheartedly, "I love you, Caroline."
Caroline smiled brightly before moving in the rest of the way to press her lips to his. She sighed into their kiss, her feelings rushing back to her as if they had never left, which they hadn't, not totally, they had just been buried between layers of hurt and anger and heartbreak.
Stefan pulled her into him, moaning in pleasure at feeling her again, his kiss becoming desperate as he practically devoured her. Her kiss feeling like coming home to him. She was where he was meant to be all along, she was everything to him and he vowed silently to himself to never let her go again. She was it for him.
Caroline smiled as their lips finally parted, her hand placed against his chest over his heart, feeling the way it raced beneath her palm. She briefly chewed on her lip, before gazing at him affectionately as she repeated her words from long ago, "We both know that I can never really hate you."
Stefan grinned, sliding his hand down to wrap around her waist and pull her into his lap. He felt his heart throb at the sound of her sweet giggles, and he repeated his own words back to her, "And hearing you hate me is still the worst thing that I've ever heard."
"Good thing it'll never happen again." Caroline promised as she wrapped her arms around Stefan's neck, holding on tight to him and not planning on ever letting him go.
"Never again." Stefan repeated her promise, curling his arms around her waist and holding her firmly against him. He pressed his lips to hers, and enjoyed relearning everything about her.
Their forever started now.
A year later...
Stefan stood at the alter nervously waiting for his bride to make her way down the aisle. The last year had been the most amazing year of his life. He and Caroline had slowly rebuilt the love and trust between them until nothing could break them again. They were happy and together and they would be for eternity.
Caroline and Ric shared custody of the girls, and there was no hurt feelings between them about their failed wedding. Josie and Lizzie were two beautiful little bundles of joy and Stefan was happy and proud to become their step father. He had even asked them for permission before asking their mom to marry him, which they happily agreed to knowing how happy he made Caroline.
Now here he stood, back in Mystic Falls, in the church where Liz's funeral was held all those years ago, surrounded by family and friends, preparing to marry the love of his life.
It was the happiest day of his life.
The day Caroline Forbes became Caroline Salvatore.
Stefan couldn't stop the smile from spreading across his face if he tried. Caroline was about to become his wife, and he would be her husband. Until death did them part. Which for them was a very long time if ever.
His thoughts broke off as the music changed. He stood up straight, and kept his eyes on the end of the aisle waiting for his love to make her way to him. He smiled as the twins made their way down the aisle throwing petals before taking their seat beside Ric. Then Bonnie and Damon made their way down next, for once not bickering as they took the place at the alter.
Then Caroline appeared, and he couldn't see anything but the gorgeous angel making her way to him. She wore a different dress from the one from her and Ric's almost wedding. This one was made of white satin, the bodice hugging her breasts and only showed a hint of her cleavage, a red sash circled her waist, and the skirt flared out around her. She was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen.
Caroline slipped her hand into his the moment she reached the aisle. The smile was wide on her face, happiness radiated from her every pore, her heart so full of love that she thought she could burst. She had at one point despaired of this moment ever happening between them, spending years apart, hating him for abandoning her, letting her anger overrule her heart to push him away, before finally coming to her senses after a push from her future brother in law. She was finally completely happy.
Stefan smiled dreamily at Caroline, never taking his eyes from her as he waited for the moment he could say 'I do' and seal their love and marriage with a kiss. That moment came soon enough and he barely even waited for the pastor to finish speaking before answering instantly, "I do."
Caroline didn't even let the pastor speak more than a few words before she repeated the same words, "I do."
Stefan wanted to pull her into his arms right that moment but he waited for the magic words that made her his before acting on that impulse.
The pastor's voice was amused as he said, "I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss your bride."
Stefan didn't have to be told twice. He leaned forward and eagerly touched his lips to hers, his hand immediately sliding into her curls to cradle her head as they kissed for longer than was probably appropriate for church.
The hollering and clapping faded into the background as they continued to kiss for several moments longer before finally pulling away to rest their heads together, their eyes locked on each other.
Stefan cradled her face between his hands, stroking her face tenderly as he asked with a loving smile on his face, "Are you ready to spend eternity together, Mrs Salvatore?"
"More than ready." Caroline beamed back, her eyes sparkling with happiness, "Forever starts now, Mr Salvatore."
Stefan grinned just before swooping her up into his arms and running down the aisle with her giggles following behind them.
They started from nothing and after years of friendship, mistakes, hurt feelings and broken hearts they eventually became something even better than they'd ever had before.
THE END
AN – I hope you all enjoyed the follow up – and happy ending – to Nothing.