"Why am I hearing about this now?" he yells at Elena in the restrooms.
Her answer and the conversation that follows are kind of blurry in his head. Everything is. Why the hell do they always have to get in trouble? Damon Salvatore thinks for the umpteenth time, quite annoyed with all the girls of Mystic Falls that he is acquainted with. Now that Elena has given up on martyrdom, and Bonnie isn't hanging out with the male version of herself, Caroline gets herself locked up by werewolves. It truly irritates himwhen she puts herself in such situations.
He is on his way to the woods and trying to remind himself that he sort of promised Elena he would not kill Tyler Lockwood. This "Be the better man" thing is seriously getting in the way of his badass-ness. Hopefully, there will be someone he can take out his anger on. Jules. What kind of a girl name is that, in the first place? He has not yet gotten over the fact that she's responsible for Rose's death, and there she is, messing with Blondie? As if he didn't have enough problems already. Hasn't he told her to stay away from Tyler? It's the third time that he has to give up what he is doing and go to her rescue. He doesn't like it. Damn it, Caroline, why don't you ever listen?
At the same moment, Caroline also wonders why she never listens. She swears to God that she will listen to every single advice from now on.
Ever since he was a little boy, Damon Salvatore has never been the kind to let others play with his toys. Back then, he would cry and pout. Growing up and turning into a vampire only changed one thing; now, when someone plays with his toys, he wants to retaliate. Proof is the list of people who have messed with Caroline Forbes.
The first person who had borrowed his doll without asking was that moron news guy, Logan Fell. Damon's "relationship" with Caroline was going through a rough patch at that point. In other words, she didn't want to have anything to do with him anymore. Thank God, compulsion was easily done and terribly efficient. She was still his; he used her only for his dirty work because she was full of vervain. Even if she wasn't, it wouldn't have been very clever to feed on her if he didn't want Elena and Stefan to play morality police with him. The last thing he needed was for those two to mind his business once again. So he called Caroline every now and then, because he liked that he was so in control with her. He liked the way she simply said "Okay!" every time he asked her to do something, whether it was from compulsion or not. He liked that she was bold with him but even better, that he could tame her with a single glance. Anyway, he had found Logan and Stefan had taken the blonde home. "You pissed me off, I want you dead" was for the bullets and for Caroline's blood that he could smell on the window of the car.
From this incident, Caroline remembers waking up in her bed with her mother by her side. "What happened? I was with Logan Fell in his car and…" she began; later on, she heard that she had Damon Salvatore to thank for being alive. Behind the bars of her cage and between the screams of pain, Caroline remembers that – she doesn't even know why – and prays for him to rescue her once more.
Then, there had been Katherine. The last couple of hours before he entered that hospital bedroom had been unpleasantly eventful. He wanted the bitch dead. But he had more urgent business to attend to. Liz had called and when he had heard the tremors in her voice, he had known that something was wrong with Caroline. He had wondered why the hell that girl always got herself in so much trouble, for God's sake. Before he got the hospital, he already knew what he was going to do. When Elena finally approved, he lost no time and entered the room. Caroline's skin was extremely pale in the neon light; he could draw the path of her blue veins with his eyes and he didn't even feel thirsty. She looked more fragile than he ever thought she could couldn't help wondering how he would feel if Caroline's heart stopped beating right then and there; if she literally died in his arms. He considered she was his; would it be like losing a part of himself? He wouldn't let things get to the point where he would find out. He had bit into his wrist without hesitation.
From this incident, Caroline remembers waking up in her bed with her mother by her side. "What happened? I was with Matt and Tyler in his car and…" she began; later on, she heard that she had Damon Salvatore to thank for being alive. Behind the bars of her cage and between the screams of pain, Caroline remembers that – she doesn't even know why – and prays for him to rescue her once more.
When Damon got to Mystic Falls, Caroline Forbes was the first person, Stefan and Elena aside, who caught his eye. There was something about this girl, something solar and shiny and bubbly that he desperately needed to ruin. The blonde head cheerleader cliché, really? She was so smiling and optimistic all the time. She annoyed the hell out of him. With her blonde hair and lovely blue eyes. He was used to the company of beautiful women, but he had rarely seen a mere high school student so feminine. She was perfectly aware that she drew attention and she used this to her advantage. She kept tossing her hair and batting her eyelashes and laughing that ridiculous high-pitched laugh of hers. No wonder he calls her Vampire Barbie. She was like a doll in his arms when he flashed that seductive smile at her, when he brushed her lips, when his fangs ripped through the skin of her neck.
Okay, maybe he tried to kill her when he realized she was a vampire. So what? He had good reasons. First of all, he knew her; and he was sincere when he said she, of all people, would not make it as a vampire. Caroline was solar and shiny and bubbly; there was no way she could get used to the secrecy and the killing and the shadows. She was going to explode with all these contradictory emotions. And kill people randomly; he would have to clean the mess since Stefan and Elena were all about Katherine. Speaking of, the very fact that Caroline was a vampire would be an everlasting reminder that, once more, Katherine had had the upper hand on him. Not to mention that now she was a vampire, she couldn't be his doll anymore; no more compulsion, no more blood. So yes, he had found the newborn vampire – she was not his Caroline anymore - and held her in his arms and tried to stake her. Obviously, he had failed; he was glad.
From that incident, Caroline remembers nothing. He never lets anything happen to me, he will come, she thinks is her cage. I mean, Logan is dead and Katherine is locked in a damn tomb! She knows that Damon has nothing to do with either event, but she doesn't care. She is positive that he is on his way; when she hears his voice outside, it's almost as if she was free already. For a split second, she wants to look at that Brady guy and stick her tongue out to him, because he is so going to get his ass kicked.
A few minutes later, Jonas tells them they are free to go and Stefan says he will walk her home. She knows that Damon is following from a distance and it makes her feel safer. She is glad that Stefan is here, but she trusts him about more emotional matters; nobody can solve a conflict like he can or give someone their self-esteem back. Still, when she thinks about physical harm, the only valuable barrier she can think of is Damon. It doesn't make sense but somehow, it does. He always comes the rescue.
She puts on a brave face in front of them but as soon as she is alone and they are far enough, she breaks down inside. It's late and she feels exhausted. Not just by the night; by the last couple of months. She can handle staying young and beautiful forever; it would be stupid to complain about that. She can handle that she has to lie to Matt and to her mother about what she is because it's what is best for them. She can handle that Tyler is a werewolf and Bonnie is a witch and Elena is a doppelganger sacrifice. She can handle that Stefan wants her to eat bunnies while Damon is throwing human blood bags at her. But she cannot handle all of it at once. Not when she has lost a friend in Tyler. Not when the werewolf who got Rose killed kidnapped her. Not when she was shot in the head and tortured for the last three hours. Not when someone she considered as a close friend just stood there when she was about to be killed for good. Not when she doesn't feel safe in her own home.
Nothing would have happened if I had listened to Damon, she thinks after blowing off Tyler. He has some nerve to show up like nothing happened. It is the first time she's so angry at someone for anything. Her life is nothing but a mess right now and the only person she can think of is Damon. So she jumps a little when someone knocks on the window of her bedroom and it's him. At least, now, he knocks.
"I loved the way you yelled at Lockwood Junior," he purrs.
"You're stalking me, now?" she asks, trying to mask her relief.
His presence is soothing; she immediately takes deeper, peaceful breaths. She gives in to the feeling for a minute and, since he's not answering, she snaps at him, just to get the upper hand once today. Damon is good that way; she just knows he will let her believe that she's the one in control.
"Why are you here, Damon?"
He says nothing but she feels his eyes scanning every exposed inch of skin. She is wearing her bathrobe, but surprisingly, she does not feel self-conscious. Is he actually checking her wounds? Some are still visible; of course he sees them and he heaves a long sigh.
"Why do you always have to get in trouble, Caroline?"
The question takes her off guard. He says it like he really means it, like the answer matters to him. She notices his furrowed brows and feels lost. She folds her arms against her chest.
"What is that supposed to mean?" she asks.
"It means," he begins by following her downstairs to the bathroom, "that I am sick of saving you, Blondie. I have my own business to attend to, in case you haven't noticed."
Yeah, like you didn't crave a valuable reason for kicking that Jules' ass. Bickering is perfect; because it's just like before. She doesn't react when he gets in the bathroom with her. Luckily, she has already showered; she just needs to do something about that hair.
"Then stop saving me!" she says, praying that he won't decide she's being smart on this one.
"I don't exactly have a choice."
"Why, do you care what happens to me?"
"Why does everybody in this damn town want me to care?" he exclaims, quite exasperated now.
She giggles. She giggles, for God's sake, and it is beyond ridiculous when she does that but the sound hits him harder than he expected. She is about to answer when they hear footsteps on the front porch, so light that they both know it's Stefan. The moment is broken, but she doesn't want to let it go just yet. Putting in practice everything she has learnt, she opens the tap of the washbowl to mask the talking. She tentatively brushes Damon's hand; it's the first time she willingly touches him since she turned. She whispers "Thank you for coming, Damon. I feel safe, now." He can't help but smile and roll his eyes. "Yeah, well, I'm not gonna come to the rescue every time you put yourself in a situation like this." She laughs. "Just so you know, it's never going to happen again." He challenges her. "Is that a promise?" With a smile, she leaves the bathroom, knowing that he will find a way to get out without Stefan noticing.
The next night, they meet in the woods. Spending the evening with Bonnie and Elena made her realize that she doesn't have to be saved all the time. Now that she's part of this twisted game, she might as well learn how to play. Damon is nonchalantly leaning against a tree that must be older than him. "Bring it on, baby," he teases.
She thrusts towards him so fast that she has barely enough time to see the smirk on his face. For a second, he catches a glimpse of the Caroline he used to know and realizes that she has become the strong woman about to kick his ass. This second of distraction leads him to be violently slammed onto the ground. For the first time since she is a vampire, the blonde sees pride in her Sire's eyes.
Caroline is triumphant. Damon is satisfied; no one will ever mess with his Vampire Barbie anymore.
You know what you have to do now, right ?
- M. -