A/N: Prompt by give-me-tvd on tumblr to write a movie fic. and this one is based on a movie called Jab We Met! I reaally hope you all will enjoy this one. finger crossed :)


The world looks collapsing on him, dragging him into the pit of the Earth. He can feel the burning fire all around himself. Only if the fire could have been real and not a metaphorical joke of his life. The echoing noise surrounding him is loud, but it has been blocked by his ears, as if his brain has developed its own defensive mechanism, filtering out anything and everything. His eyes goes to the person sitting on his right side, arguing notably with the other members of the board. Tall, slim and straight long blonde hair, she has such a strong aura that she could win any battle. Alexia Branson has been his friend for a very long time, the period which he never counted. If she wanted she could have had landed herself the best job of the world. But, there she is, stuck with him, trying to save the company he sank into the depth of the ocean.

Stefan had never thought that his world will turn upside down like this, blowing away everything he tried to build for so long. His eyes drifts towards his left side to the lawyer trying to logic about the share percent his mother, Lily Salvatore owns in the company. She wore the white corporate suit for the occasion, and Stefan wants to laugh at the choice of the color of his mother. How ironic is that, the color white belongs to angels, and he once considered her his angel, the only person for whom he would do anything. He thought that things can become gold, and all his pain can go away just by the blowing kiss of his mother. But, he can't blame a ten year old to think like that. He blames the twenty- five year old Stefan though, the one who knew how important the company was for his father, and couldn't keep his head straight to run a mere business. He shouldn't have had let his mother be the part of something his life belonged to. She has never been the one who sticks. Because he has seen her leaving him behind, leaving his father behind to start her new life. Lily's eyes met his son's, and she gives him a smile, the one she always have for him and the one which he never responds to. He never realizes when he stands on his place, and his legs start to walk, taking off from the conference room. When he walks out of the room, nobody bothers to stop him, or at least that's what he thinks, when he shoves off the security guards on his way to his car.

His mind is all over the place, when he reaches the parking garage, and unlocks his red Porsche. He just wants to drive and go away from the whole mess his life has become. But, he ends up at the doorstep of the big mansion, the one which looks like the Palace of Beverly Hills.

"Don't…" The word flows in his brain, but his legs have their own thoughts and so he comes out of his car, and let himself inside the house. The well dressed people are scattered all around him, talking and enjoying the glass of champagne. Everyone is so busy that nobody notices his presence. Or maybe it's his business suit, that he camouflaged with them so familiarity of the house is mocking on his face. How many times he had ran on that staircase in front of him, and skipped the steps, falling on his face. He should have been accustomed to falling and tripping and getting bruised, but there is a difference between physical and mental bruises. Physical pain goes away, while emotional one makes a residence and keeps on making a hole inside your heart, making it a inhabitant place for anyone else to stay. The reception looks like a hit, and it's definitely going to be a headline news. After all it's Damon Salvatore's marriage reception. Damon Salvatore, the brother he would have done anything for. Even though Damon was Stefan's cousin, he always looked up to him. And after her mother left him, Damon was the one who became the best of the friends for him. And today is his marriage reception, while for Stefan, it's his doom's day. The funny thing is how everything slipped from his hands, and how his own girlfriend decided to dump him and marry Damon instead.

Stefan looks at the bride. The beautiful and gorgeous Elena Gilbert, who is shining in her delicately designed white backless gown. She laughs radiantly on some joke the person next to them cracks. The flawless eyelashes on her doe eyes flutter in the process, making her cheeks go red. And Damon laughs with her as well, as if he is the happiest man alive on Earth. Stefan curses in anger boiling inside of him. It was supposed to be him beside her, because Damon never wanted to be settled and get married. But, Elena chose his brother over him. And why wouldn't she? Who would have chosen a failure like Stefan Salvatore? The thought always haunts him these days.

The laughs and giggles slowly fades away from Elena's face, when she spots him. He walks towards them, standing on the center stage. Damon looks like he has been holding his breath for a long time now. But, Stefan didn't say anything to release his brother's anxiety.

"Stefan." Elena is the first one to break the awkward silence starting to engulf them. "You came." she smiles at him, thinking that he will do the same. He didn't. Stefan looks at Damon, who tries to smile as well, but even he doesn't get the response.

"Hey brother." Damon greets him in his usual way. "Glad you are here."

Stefan wants to raise his eyebrows at him. But he didn't. He digs in the pocket of his pants, for his car's key. And when he finds it, he keeps it in the palms of Damon's hands.

"Is this your Porsche's key?" Damon asks in confusion, but he didn't get any reply.

Take it away from me, because I don't want anything that reminds me of you.

Stefan wants to say this, but he is too tired to move the muscles in his mouth. It was the gift from Stefan on his eighteenth birthday, and after his dad died, Damon was someone who took care of him, in his own way anyway. And by that, it means taking Stefan in strip club or bars, and booze. He introduced him to the fun part of the life, and just like that, snatched it away as well.

Stefan turned around to walk away from them. But to where exactly, he still didn't know. He heard his name in the air. It must be Damon calling him, he thought. However, he didn't bother to turn around and check. Because he didn't care anymore. And, because he was exhausted now. On the way out, he takes one last look at his car parked in the lot.

The streets of Los Angeles feels narrow and claustrophobic to him, but that doesn't stops him from walking. His hands reaches towards his tie, loosening it, and throwing it away in the trash. And one by one, he drops away his Rolex watch, his blue crystal ring. Before trashing it out, he looks at it closely, this is his family ring, the one which has been a tradition to wear. There is one with Damon as well, and there is one which he prepared for Elena, but now that one is sitting in the drawer of his closet. The ring slips away from his fingers, because there is no family anymore for him. He has ruined everything, and now nothing should matter.

The green, and red and yellow lights hits him that he is standing across the junction now. From the public, he could guess that it's a bus station, and every thought comes rushing in his head, and everything starts to sink in a split second. His eyes see the bus coming from the opposite direction, but the walk sign is still off. Doesn't matter to him, because nothing will matter in few seconds. His body moves forward, getting ready to surrender to the failures, to just quit the life. His eyes shut when the bus is close to him, but he feels like instead of moving forwards towards the road, he has been moved 180 degrees, and away from the road.

He opens his eyes, still thinking that he would be dead by now, and he won't feel any pain anymore. However, he is blinded by the bright light in front of him.

He looks at the person in front of him, and his ears are numb, but when he sees her lips moving, he figures that she is talking to him. The girl in her yellow tank top, and cotton shorts, waving her hands in front of his eyes, snapping her fingers, and that is the moment he hears her talking for the first time.

"Helloooo? Are you even listening?" Her high pitched voice is clear and crystal in his ears now. "What were you doing in between the road by the way?"

Stefan continues to stare at her.

"Are you deaf? Or mute?" The anger from before transforms into a concern. "Or are you just rude in not replying."

He didn't respond, and walks passed her.

"Hey!" she turns around as well, following on his tail. "I was talking to you…. Maybe you ARE deaf." She hops in front of him, making him stop abruptly. "Can you lip read? I am sure you can. Well anyways you shouldn't be standing in the middle of roads. You might have had ended up in an accidents."

He ignores her, and in the process of doing so, just start walking into the bus.

"Can I see your ticket please?" The conductor blocks his way, asking him in the rudest way possible.

"Hey, cool your water down. He will give it to you. He is deaf, and mute and can't hear you." He heard the same girl arguing on his behalf. Maybe it's in her nature to talk with anyone on her way. "You can ask politely as-"

"I don't have any ticket." Before the girl could have said anything more to irk the conductor, he spoke for himself.

Her eyes went wide when she heard him talking. She looks at the conductor standing on the other side, and laughs embarrassingly. "Well, is it magic or what!" she continues laughing. "So, anyways, let me be honest with you and tell you the truth. He had some family issues and so couldn't get any time to buy one, you know. But, in any case I am sure there must be one seat available on this bus."

The conductor looks at the list of the names on his chart, and she couldn't help but peek into the list.

"Soooooo, are you convinced or should I talk more?" She smiled widely when the conductor gives her a weird look.

"Where do you want to go?" The conductor questions Stefan still looking down at his list. Stefan's mind is all over the place and he didn't pay attention to what they said at that moment.

"Hey… I am talking to you. Where do you want to go?" Now it looks the conductor has been irritated by him. Great, now he has angered one more person, he thought.

"What's the last stop?"

"Excuse me?" Stefan's answer feels odd to him.

"Nevada." The girl jumps into the conversation once again. "He is going to Nevada."

"It will be seventy bucks."

He gave him two fifty bills, and without taking the twenty back, walks into the bus.

"I will give it to him." He hears the girl talking to the conductor.

He takes one of the seat, and when she comes and sits beside him, he sighs in exhaustion.

"So, what's the matter?" she nudges him, striking for his attention, but he didn't give any.

"Are you-" she lowers her voice and whispers, "on crack or something." He keeps her head down, trying to block her voice away. Praying that she won't talk now, but she continues anyways.

"So, I have lived for about four years in LA. I know exciting, right! But, my hometown is Mystic Falls. But how would you know where it is. So let me tell you, it's a small town in Virginia. Yeah, yeah I am a small town girl, and have never stayed away for so long from my friends and family over there. But, I wanted to see the world, and build my career, so I came straight to California. Although, I did build a life here, you know. I always wanted to visit places, and this was my dream coming true opportunity. I have been staying in the dorms, and that's where I bumped into Tyler. He is my boyfriends by the way. He used to crash in my room, and in all those hangouts, we fell for each other. By the way, did I said my name? I don't think I did. I am Caroline… Caroline Forbes." The girl with blonde messy curls, brings her hand forward, the gesture to which he should have responded to, but instead, he just stares at her hand. She takes it back.

It's not like that made her stop talking.

"So, is there a problem in your life, need a remedy? Come on, tell me. I am like those girls on the magazine who can solve your problems in seconds. I am reeeeallly good in this, you know. Just try me. Come, one tell me what's the problem?"

Her continuous chatter breaks his patience, and when he bursts, it's never good for anyone. "OH MY GOD!" His hands goes to his head, trying to calm his nerves down, but now the dam has been broken. "YOU… you are my problem. You have been non-stop talking in my ear like the crawling bug from the moment we have met. I don't care where you have been born, or why you came to this city, or if you live in a dorm, or in a brothel or anywhere else. I… DON'T… CARE."

He sees her smiling face turning into a question mark, and he realizes that he went too far in his frustrated speech.

"Why would I be in a brothel?" The question is innocent and he repents to say it even more.

"I am sorry, I… shouldn't have said that." He apologizes instantly, but she cuts him off.

"Yeah, well, clearly there is something that has affected you so much and you have been in such a state now, and I can see that your head is all over the place. So, a reaction like yours is all natural. So, take a chill pill, there is no worries."

Chill pill. He wonders if people in 21st century even talk like this.

"But, I am not angry at you. Actually, now that I think about it, I am never in a bad mood nowadays. How could I be? After all I am in love…. "And she doesn't stop and he sighs in panic. The moments hits him hard and he realizes that he is stuck with her for the whole journey.

"…. So obviously when he proposed me, I was gonna say yes, duh. Tyler is the love of my life. And if it's that one true love, you just knows it in your heart. And Tyler is the one for me. But, he is a Lockwood, you know. Family feud, and all. Like its long time back. You would think, they would be over this by now, but nope, they still believe in that old historical fight, and are bitter about it. You know what, that's why I have decided to just go for it and marry him, and then just hug my parents. I am their Care bear, how long will they be angry with me. I can bet it won't even last for a hour." she starts to laugh, and he can feel the headache reaching the saturation limit.

Stefan closes his eyes, thinking that it's over now, and he can better go to sleep, before she starts to talk again.

"By the way, how do you feel about mountains?"

Too late! His brain turns on the siren, when she asks the question. He thinks to ignore her. Turns out to be bad option anyway.

"I will tell you my opinion." she continues, "I LOOOOOVE Mountains. I have this dream to build a house and stay there, for my whole life, with winter and snow all around me." He opens his eyes to make her stop talking, but the glow in her eyes lit her like the magic ball of fire, and the words chokes in his throat.

"However, I love summer more. I mean, I will get it in Wisconsin, but it won't be the same like of Florida or Virginia, you know. Let me think what should I chose? Summer… or Winter" she brings her hands in front of her, weighing the two invisible options. "You know what? Doesn't matter which one. I will go anywhere in the world, if Tyler is with me. Just some clothes, and a curler iron, and I am all… set!"


"So, this is my son, Stefan… the future of my business."

Stefan and his dad were standing in the middle of the hall, in his giant house party with the executives. All the big shots were present, and he had to be on his good behaviour. He shook his hand with Mr. Mikaelson.

"Glad to finally meet you Stefan."

"Same here."

"So, when are you joining the company?"

"I don't know, whenever I will be ready." Stefan replied hesitantly. He looked towards his father, who was patting his shoulder with proud emotions. He had to talk to his father soon.

"Well, you are ready Stefan. You have always been. And since you have finished your MBA, I think there is no better day than today to join us, Stefan." Stefan gulped smiling nervously. "Attention to everyone…" Giuseppe started to speak to the whole room. "Today, my son is officially joining us."

Stefan stood there, the words trying to reach out of his vocal cord, but couldn't. The look at his father's face was too much for him.

Thus, he smiled back at every person present around him.

"So… did you talked to him?" Lexi was on the other end of the phone.

"Nope."

"Why?"

"You should have seen his face when he announced that I am joining him in his company."

"But, you are not into this management and business stuff." Lexi was kind of his persistent friend, she was not going to back off without a fight.

"No, but there is no harm in joining today, and if I didn't like it I can leave it anytime."

"FIIINE… do whatever you want."

"Stefan… are you okay?"

"I am fine." He said grimly, when Lexi came inside his room. He had been busy packing his duffel bag with the essentials.

"Stefan-"

"I said I am fine." Stefan looked at her finally, and with one look in her eyes, he felt that breath he had been holding for so long coming out of his mouth. He didn't want to break, but things were not working as he planned. "I should have been home, I should have been here, and I could have had-"

"Saved him? No, Stefan…. it was the heart- attack. It wasn't in your hand."

Stefan sighed and closed his eyes to get away from the pain of losing his family, his father.

"He was in pain, while I was out there, celebrating the birthday. And I don't even like birthdays."

"Stefan, you have to be strong."

"I have to go, and sign the deal."

"So, you are taking over the company as the boss?"

Stefan stares at her for a second before nodding his head. "Yes… Yes I am."

"But, this wasn't your dream."

"It is dad's dream. Anything else…. doesn't matter."

Lexi, left him alone, with his thoughts and no one else. He fell flat on his back on the bed, staring at the roof. His eyes slowly dropping close, but there is no dream now. It's just the shadow of loneliness and sorrow wrapping him in its grasp.


His eyes opens, with the sudden announcement in the bus. Till the date, he still doesn't have any dreams when he sleeps. His forehead creases with confusion when the mumbled words make their way into his ears. He slightly turn his head to his right, and finds the source

He is astonish to see the girl and her non-stop chatter. How can someone talk even in their sleep? He wonders how she is getting all this energy to even talk.

"I was about to… go in a plane, but all planes were booked. So I am taking the long way, because I have to be there… with them."

.

The bus stops near an exit, for the break, half an hour break, and in the same stop, he walks out on her mumbles.

Ironically, he finds the most abandoned table, and takes a seat over there. His dry-cleaned and well pressed suit has been rigged, and still he doesn't care. For a second, a thought passes his mind, about the place where he is, but then how will it matter any differently. He has ruined every damn thing in his life, and nothing can make it any better.

"Hey, the bus will leave you if you won't come back you know." The same voice crawls over the walls around him. He is shocked to see her standing in front of him. Did she just walked out of the bus to call him back? His eyes stared at her back, a little agitated for not leaving him alone.

"Come on… the bus will leave us. I came all over here to call you back." she was fidgeting at her place in tension. Stefan takes his eyes off of her, making it clear that he ain't going anywhere with her, nor taking that bus again. He hears her breaths going uneven.

"You know what?…. Go to hell!" The shouts makes him deaf for few seconds, when she sees her running towards her bus. The guilt in the pit of his stomach hits him hard. He shouldn't have acted in that way, the rude and uncaring Stefan Salvatore. When did he became like this?


"So, what are we doing here again?" The music around him is so loud that he couldn't hear his voice coming from his own mouth.

"WE are celebrating!"

"And what are we celebrating?" Stefan asks his cousin, who has dragged him into a pub.

"Your birthday, my little brother."

"By coming to a pub?"

"What's to hate here? Booze- yes, girls… yesss!" Damon wiggles his eyebrows and pulling Stefan from his elbow into the pub. "Or… only booze, if you are… you know… into guys."

"You think?" Stefan mocks his brother back. He isn't in a mood of celebrating a birthday. He never got the point of being happy for getting closer to being old, and closer to their death date.

"Look, Stefan this is your eighteenth birthday. You won't turn eighteenth every year. So… enjoy the experience." "Also, it is just not any club… it's a strip club."

Stefan's eyes went wide to let in the information and watched around himself. He was standing there… for real.

"I am in a strip club." Stefan was half lost.

"Yes."

"But, I am just eighteen, and I shouldn't be here."

"Nope."

"But, I am still here!"

"Yupppp"

"Dad will kill me if he finds out."

"Probably."

Neither of them were walking out of the place, but standing there glued to their position.

"You're welcome, by the way." Damon throws the welcome card on him.

"For what?"

"For giving you one story of wild experience to tell your friends."

"Uh… thanks then."

"Now, just come on let's enjoy, we have to go for a long drive in your Porsche after this as well." Damon dragged him once again, but this time Stefan had a blushing smile on his face.

"Wait! What Porsche?"

"It's the car Stefan."

"I KNOW what a Porsche is Damon. I don't have a Porsche."

"WRONG! You didn't have had a Porsche… But you have one… now." Damon jiggles the keys in his fingers, and throws it towards him.

"You… you are gifting me a car?" Stefan smiled widely at his brother.

"Again… Stefan, you are welcome."

Stefan laughed, mumbling a thanks to him. He had a brother who was his best friend as well. He couldn't be luckier than that…

/\/\/\

"We need to talk" Damon entered his room, but he stopped him.

"I don't want to… go away."

"This wasn't supposed to happen like this"

"Really? So what other ways were there for this to happen, Damon?" Stefan crossed his arms in front of him, and stared at the person from whom he just wanted to run away. "My brother who have been my brother for twenty-five years of my life fell in love with my girlfriend, and she lets him. So tell me this… should I not be bitter for this?"

"You have all the right to be angry-"

"I hate you." Stefan blurted it out in the lost sense due to the alcohol he consumed before. "Stay out of my ways from now on brother…. if that is what you think of me."

"I will talk to you once you are sober." Damon left him alone, in his room.

That was the day, when he figured how alone the world is for him, and how fake the love can be. His mother left him and his father for some other guy, and Damon took away his girlfriend.

His whole life is a mess…..


"YOU!" she shouts from far away, running towards him. "The bus left me…" her eyes are wide in anger. "The bus just left… and I am here… standing, and chatting with you. AND it's all because of you!" her finger points directly at him.

"Hey… I didn't tell you to come out of the bus okay."

"Wow… I can't believe this. A) I didn't came out of the bus to eat fresh air, okay. I came for you. Because I was worried about YOU! And B) well, if I have to let my bus go away, I would have brought my luggage with me as well."

Her wide eyes becomes even wider when her own words starts to sink in. "Oh my god…. OH MY GOD… OH MY GOD… my luggage is in the bus, my wallet, my purse, my phone… oh my…" her hands tries to keep her head straight, but she is too panicky now. "I don't even have a single penny in my pocket to make a call."

Stefan looks at her frightened posture, walking back and forth. "And you… instead of saying a thanks to me, you are showing me attitude."

"What do you want from me?" Stefan is way too tired to fight with this girl.

"Oh… what I WANT? I want you to take me to the bus, so that I can catch, and I can go to my damn destination… and IF you think I will leave your side before that… then you are wrong Mr.…. I am Caroline Forbes, for god's sake. AND I will haunt you until you take me back to my luggage OKAY!"

Stefan breathes out the air loudly… even a cool beer won't help him taking away the headache she is giving him. And he curses the moment he met her… the moment they met!


A/N : So, how did you liked it so far? Let me know your reviews :) Love you all