***Author's Note: I just want to say that I am neither team Stelena or Delena. I love both of the Salvatore brothers and while I enjoy their little love triangle, I'm usually more interested in the show's other storylines. This is just how I perceive their situation as articulated by the lovely Caroline Forbes. Enjoy!
Set after 3x18. Caroline and Damon have a candid and (almost) civil conversation about what's really best for Elena.
Damon made no attempt to be quiet as he slammed the front door of the Salvatore mansion behind him. It had been one hell of a day and watching his last hope of killing the Original family (literally) go up in flames had been the sucky cherry on top of an already suck-filled cake. He needed a drink.
He was caught momentarily off-guard by the mess of blond hair he saw peeking over the back of the couch as he walked into the living room. For a split-second he thought it might be Rebekah, waiting to exact revenge for the way he used Sage to get into her head. These thoughts diminished when he realized it was a different, slightly less annoying cheerleader.
"What are you doing here Blondie?" Damon asked, making his way towards the scotch. He didn't even offer her a glance which came as no surprise to Caroline.
"Elena asked me to stay with Ric until you or Stefan got back," she replied, watching Damon sift through empty bottles. She turned back around and faced the fireplace. "I also stole your scotch," she added holding up the glass she was drinking in one hand and the bottle of amber-colored liquid in the other.
Damon growled in frustration, walking over to her. He snatched the bottle out of her hand before walking back over to the table.
"Well I'm here now so why don't you scurry on your way," he suggested.
"Don't you even want to know how he is?" Caroline asked incredulously. She refused to turn and look at him as she said this. If he was going to act like he couldn't be bothered than so would she.
"I know how he is," Damon said, looking at the back of her head. "He's Ric. Vampire hunter/history teacher by day, psycho serial killer by night."
Caroline gripped the glass in her hand until she felt it crack. The way Damon said psycho serial killer in such a nonchalant way infuriated her. He knew that Ric had killed her father, and while she had forgiven him for it, she didn't need to hear Damon Salvatore of all people make light of it.
"You're an ass," Caroline said, rising from her seat. "He's one of your total 1 ½ friends in this town. You could at least act like you care."
She slammed the glass down on the table as she stormed past him but Damon caught her arm.
"You have no idea what you're talking about," he growled, releasing his grip. "It's been a long day and I don't need another judgey little highschooler reprimanding my bad attitude. I have my brother for that."
"Do you?" Caroline asked, quirking an eyebrow. "I'd be careful Damon. If Stefan had to cut you out of his life to keep Elena, he'd do it." She knew this wasn't entirely true but she wanted to hurt him and she couldn't think of a better soft spot than that love triangle.
Damon recoiled at this and his eyes darkened. He knew how Caroline (and Bonnie, Jeremy, Matt, and Alaric for that matter) felt about his pursuit of Elena. He also knew she would indeed probably end up picking his younger brother. Afterall, everyone did.
"Sure," Damon said. "Keep hoping Elena and Stefan will ride off into the sunset together. Don't come crying to me when Klaus is hot on their trail and Stefan is bordering on his next blood binge."
Caroline paused. She had really hit a nerve.
"I'm not," she replied.
"You're not what?" Damon asked.
"I'm not hoping she'll ride off into the sunset with Stefan," Caroline said. "I'm not hoping they'll even get back together." She took a breath. "I love Elena, Damon. And right now her life is crazy and she needs to be protected—"
"And that's not what I'm doing?" Damon asked. Now he was getting angry. You could call him self-destructive, call him a pain in the ass, say he was the worst thing for Elena, but you could not say he wasn't trying to protect her.
"That's not what I meant Damon. I—"
"Who was here when Stefan was gone?" Damon continued. "You may not like my methods Blondie but I am keeping her alive."
Caroline just looked at him for a moment. She didn't know why she was even having this conversation. It wasn't like she owed Damon anything. In fact, he owed her something. There was a part of Caroline that was still waiting for an apology from Damon for all he had done to her when he first came to town. And honestly, she wanted that apology just so she could refuse it. Afterall, how can you really apologize for trying to kill someone—twice?
But there was another part of her, a bigger part even, that knew he had tried to apologize, in his own way. Damon Salvatore wasn't much for kind words, except when it came to Elena, and in most cases Caroline wouldn't take that as an excuse. But she also couldn't overlook the ways he had put himself out there to help her in the past year either. He didn't have to show up when Jules and her mobile puppy mill had caged Caroline like a rabid animal. He didn't have to jump in front of Tyler when he lunged at her that night in the woods. He never even told her about the bite and they had never spoken of the fact that she was the one Tyler was going for, not him. The most meaningful thing though, was the way he treated her mom when she found out about them. He wanted her to stay alive, and even though that may not have been for Caroline, his attempt to soften Liz's harsh words about her daughter had been. Those things, all of those things, meant something to her…even if she would never admit it.
"Is your tantrum over?" Caroline asked.
Damon gritted his teeth, preparing to personally "escort" the blonde out of his house.
"You didn't let me finish," Caroline said. "Elena is the doppleganger and that will never change. Right now her life is crazy because of the Originals and she needs to be protected. But hopefully her life won't always be that way. Elena wants to be a mother Damon. She was MADE to be a mother. She wants to get old, have wrinkles, see her kids grow up. She doesn't want to live forever."
Caroline paused, trying to read Damon's eyes. They were empty.
"She doesn't want to be a vampire. So no, I'm not rooting for Stefan…or you."
Damon smirked. "You should maybe stop trying to get them back together at every turn then. It's a little counterintuitive."
Caroline's eyes widened but Damon continued. "I'm a vampire," he said. "I can hear you."
"Can you blame me?" Caroline asked. "Can you blame any of us?"
Damon rolled his eyes but Caroline persisted. "Seriously Damon. You sort of act like you hate everyone except Elena most of the time."
"It's not an act," Damon replied.
Caroline smiled slightly. Which only made Damon more angry.
"I'm not a good person Caroline. You of all people should know that."
"You're right." Caroline said. "You're not a good person. And Stefan hasn't always been either. The difference between you two isn't what's on the inside, Damon. It's what you let people see."
"I'm not Stefan," Damon said. "I don't want to be. And I don't care what any of you, including Elena, think about it."
Caroline shook her head. "You can spend eternity dressing in all black and acting cynical about everything Damon, but your eyes give you away…every time."
Damon was silent.
"I know you love her Damon. And I know Stefan loves her. And I think she loves you both too. Ultimately, it's her decision. It's Elena, you know? She's my friend. And while I have an opinion, she will ALWAYS be my friend, no matter what.
The two vampires just stood there for a moment, both uncomfortable but neither willing to be the first to speak again.
Damon rubbed the back of his neck. "We need a new plan," he said.
"What?" Caroline asked.
"To kill the Originals," Damon clarified. "Sage threw a wrench in mine."
Caroline sighed, realizing Damon had officially switched the subject to something much more tangible, and much less personal.
"It can wait until the morning," she said, reaching for her jacket and slipping it on. "Check on Ric."
She began walking towards the door. Damon cursed her in his mind for making him feel like he had to say something.
"Hey Blondie," he said. Caroline turned and faced him. He knew that he could say more with his eyes than he ever could have articulated, so instead he said "You seem to have a way with the fellas. Maybe you should just sink your claws into my little bro, then there won't be so much tension."
Caroline just stared at him, already regretting even remotely seeing his side of things.
"Good night Damon," she said, before adding: "Ass."
Damon smirked as she left. He headed to the couch. It was going to be a long night if he was going to figure out another way to kill Klaus. And it was going to require a few more drinks.