A/N; Thanks so much for the feedback on this series of stories! Love seeing the favoriting the stories and the followers climbing! So excited to be doing this for all of us who were desperate for more after the finale
This is chapter 1 of 2 Stefan and Caroline's wedding night. Enjoy and please let me know what you think!
STEROLINE in these two chapters if you don't like them please just skip them however Damon and Elena are in this chapter a bit too. And there is much more Delena coming up yet.
Caroline Salvatore laid in her husband's bed in the boarding house and was tossing and turning trying to sleep. But the events of the night just kept flashing in front of her eyes.
"I can't believe this is happening," she breathed out, reliving the nightmare that her wedding night had become. She had just heard Ric tell her to get the hell out of Mystic Falls and fast. That there was no stopping the hellfire from coming. Vicky was compelled and there was no way to stop her from ringing the bell. But Stefan had just said too that Damon would not let Elena die here alone. No matter who left, Elena would die.
Stefan's was staring so mournfully at her. "I need to talk to Damon," he stated to her, his voice void of the emotion flooding his face.
She sniffled, fully aware of how desperate Stefan must be to keep his brother alive. "Do you think you will convince him."
"No," he shook his head smiling sadly. "But I have to try."
She knew he was right. He wouldn't be the man she loved if he didn't try to save his brother or Elena. But part of her felt such dark forboding at his words.
"I made a promise to Ric," she admitted. "That I wouldn't risk the girls growing up without a mother." She meant that promise with all her heart and soul but right then she felt so torn. It was like she was being forced to choose between her children that she loved more than her own eternal life or her brand new husband that she had just committed her forever to. "But I can help you with Damon but I can't..."
But he was already shaking his head at her. "No, I can do it alone." She was still trying to argue but he put his hands on her neck, smoothing her hair, as he nodded to her sternly. She knew he needed to protect her and that he was only trying to keep her safe. But part of her was so scared she would never see him again. Like this was goodbye. She was shaking her head not wanting to let go. Not wanting to leave him.
"You get to safety," he instructed, looking deep in her eyes. She could see his pain, how much it must be hurting him too to push her away. "Family first," he mumbled.
She fought the tears that wanted to flow. "We are family now. Okay?" she pleaded with him, trying to fight the decision he had already made for the both of them. "You, and me and the girls. It's just… please, please. Don't make me leave you. Please."
Her voice cracked as she could not even bare to look in his eyes as she spoke. Everything was just too hard. She wanted to get lost in his beautiful green eyes and just run away together. She wanted their honeymoon, their wedding night even. She wanted a future with him and it hurt so much that they might be losing all of that before it even began.
He held her by the collar of her jacket, his head bent, his eyes locked on hers as she kept looking away from him. "If I want to convince Damon, I have to move fast and I can't do that unless I know you are safe."
"No," she whimpered to him, flashing her eyes up to his for barely a second before she looked away again. This could not be happening. She wanted time. Why was that too much to ask?! She wanted to scream and for a brief second she thought of compelling him to come with her. But she knew she would never be able to live with herself and could not survive with him if he resented her. She loved him more than to be selfish with him. But being selfless sucked!
"He is my brother," her husband begged her, his eyes glassy with his own tears and he smiled tersely when she finally looked up at him and focused on his eyes.
She nodded, understanding him and knowing he needed to do this. "Family first." Her voice cracked as a sob broke through. His hand was caressing her neck and she leaned into his touch, treasuring the peace it brought her and she put her hand on his. She forced a smile to her lips, not wanting him to ever let go of her.
"I love you so much," he breathed out, his gaze locked on hers as he stroked her cheek tenderly.
She looked back up in his eyes, clutching his hand tight in hers. "I love you too." And she smiled again, broader and more genuine.
Stefan held her around the waist, his whole body flush with hers and she had her hands on both sides of his neck. His lips were warm and soft and she melted into his touch, memorizing his kisses and wishing she could bottle that feeling and open it whenever she needed to for the rest of her life.
He was so brave and she could not be prouder of him and his desire to save his brother and Elena. She would lay down her life for her precious babies too. How could she fault him for that? She just prayed that somehow, some way...he would come back to her.
She felt him stiffen, like he was telling her it was time and she sniffled looking back up at him. Her lips were still moist from his kiss and her body thrumming with need for him and him alone. He nodded to her and she knew what he wanted.
And then she did the hardest thing she thought she had ever done and she turned away from the man she loved, the man she married just that day, the man she promised to spend forever with and sped out of the school.
Caroline tossed and turned on the bed. Her face was streaked with tears. Stefan was standing there beside the window. His figure looked outlined in white light even in the darkness of the night as he watched her. His heart was breaking, seeing her crying in her sleep for him. He had never wanted to leave her. This was never how he wanted them to end up.
He felt his own tears on his face as he saw her clutching the book he had made her tight in her hands. She had it tucked right against her chest. He sat down beside her on the bed and smoothed a lock of her silky blonde hair from her eyes.
She was whimpering his name, her face all scrunched up in pain. He rubbed her shirt between his fingers and sighed. She was wearing the black sweater he had on the night before their wedding. He had been so drunk, out celebrating his bachelor party with Damon and had tossed it on the couch in the parlor after throwing up for the third time that night. Being human sucked.
He smiled seeing her curled up in its warmth, the collar almost up to her neck. He stroked her head and pulled his comforter up over her and tucked it up under her throat.
He had no idea how he was here right now. Hell, he had no idea how he was able to say goodbye to Elena and Damon at the school after he was dead. Maybe the god's were smiling on him because of his sacrifice. Whatever the reason, he was so glad he could be here with his wife on their wedding night.
He wondered if she would be able to see him. He wanted to wake her up but part of him knew she had been through so much and he just wanted her to rest.
He nearly jumped and spun his head around when the door opened.
"Caroline."
It was Damon. He was still fully dressed in the dress shirt and black pants from the wedding. The shirt was partially unbuttoned and untucked from his pants and he saw him run his hand through his messy, dark hair.
"Damon?" Stefan called out to him. His brother did not answer him and walked right up to the bed and looked down at the sleeping girl. Damon held her hand and rubbed his thumb on the top of it. He did not wake her but her cries before must have been what brought him to check on her.
Stefan called to him again and looked right at him. Damon still did not respond.
"I'm so sorry I could not save him for you, Caroline." Damon mumbled under his breath. "You two should be on your honeymoon right now. Not grieving his death." He looked like hell, and Stefan could smell the bourbon on his breath. Damon inhaled deeply. "I wish things were different, for both of us, Blondie. I wanted to bring him back to you."
Stefan put his hand up on his brother's shoulder hoping he would acknowledge him. Damon jumped back at his touch.
So he could feel him? Stefan had no idea what this crazy alternate reality was but he was not going to waste it. He saw Damon squinting and looking right at him but not showing any signs that he was there. He must not be able to see him, Stefan surmised.
His brother started stumbling out of the room and Stefan rushed forward to help him. He put his arm up underneath Damon's and closed the door quietly. Damon looked like he had no idea what was happening but he was too drunk to make sense of any of it.
Stefan led him down the steps and across the second floor hallway toward Damon's room. Pushing the door open he nearly gasped seeing Elena laying there in his brother's bed. Damon had not put her back in the coffin. He walked them both toward her and helped Damon into the bed. He saw Elena was not moving, not even breathing and he hated that she must still be in her coma. He knew how much his brother must need her right now.
Shit, his human brother just got drunk from losing him and still not having Elena, probably now realizing his tolerance would be way down compared to when he was a vampire.
Damon groaned still looking around with half lidded eyes, like he knew someone was there but he didn't not understand anything.
Stefan pulled down the blankets and helped Damon lay down. His brother even in his drunken state moved closer to Elena, who was already tucked in on the other side of the bed and he pulled at her waist and burrowed his head into her hair.
Stefan winced for a second at what he was seeing, missing her. Missing the peace he had felt in her presence just his brother must be feeling that now. They had been in love and he had never just stopped loving her. He wanted her to be happy and he could see so clearly that Damon made her happier than he had ever seen her. He had let her go and realized now that if he hadn't, he might never have opened himself up to the incredible love he found with Caroline. And that even when he was still with Elena, his friendship with Caroline was building them such a strong foundation for the love he now had overflowing in his heart for her.
He stared down at Damon and Elena both laying there curled into each other and smiled. He walked to the other side of the bed after pulling the blankets up, tucking Damon in and ran a finger over Elena's cheek.
"Wake up soon. My brother needs you so much. Only you can fill that hole in his heart that is empty since I am gone. You need to take care of him for me Elena. He can get in so much trouble if someone is not watching out for him."
He bent to kiss her on the forehead and Damon moaned in his sleep, his nose against the back of her neck. "I'm trusting you to watch out for him for me," Stefan said sternly as if she could actually hear him. He blinked away more tears and then walked backwards out of the room.
He was so surprised he could move things and he had no idea how long it would last. All he had been thinking as he died was that he wished he had more time to say goodbye to the people he loved. Maybe someone up there was granting that wish. He heard another cry coming from his wife and he raced back to her.
She was whimpering between nearly quiet sobs and he rushed to her side and grabbed her hand. "Caroline, sweetheart. I'm right here." She thrashed around more and he put his hand to her head wondering if there was a way to still enter her mind.
He blinked and saw her standing outside Ric's car as she quickly dialed a number on her phone. She was breathing hard and he stepped closer but she looked like she could not see him. Everything about his experiences after his death had been so strange.
"Stefan," she cried out and he snapped his head back to her. Had she seen him?
He walked closer, standing right in front of her.
"Please call me, please." she whimpered into the phone, sniffling back tears, her eyes shut tight. "I need you to know that... I understand."
No, she could not see him. He stood in front of her so, so sad for her pain. Seeing what she must have felt like once she was told that he was going to die to save everyone. She looked like it was tearing her apart inside and he longed to comfort her.
"I love you," she sobbed out. "I will love you...forever."
He was smiling at her, holding her shoulders and aching to comfort her. "I understand," she said again. She nodded to herself, like she was trying to convince herself that she did believe what she was saying. That she did truly understand that he was only doing what he had to do.
He had crawled in his bed with her, boots, brown leather jacket and all and held her tightly. "I will love you forever too," he whispered as he kissed her head. He felt her relax in his embrace and he just lay there cradling her in his arms. He let her sleep, pulling the memory book from her hands and placed it on the table beside the bed. He rubbed her arms and felt her legs tangle with his as she relaxed more every minute in his arms. He closed his eyes and just let her sleep.
He woke up and slipped out of her arms a short while later and laid her head back down on the pillow. He rushed around the room getting everything ready. He shrugged out of his jacket and put it on the chair. Looking around he smiled. Everything was perfect.
He walked back to the bed and gently ran his finger over his wife's cheek. "Caroline," he whispered softly. She groaned and moved around only to snuggle back into his pillow. He smiled at her, wishing now that she was sleeping peacefully he could leave her like that but no, he needed to do this for her.
"Sweetheart, please wake up." She shifted her body again as he pulled a bit on the covers and blinked, rubbing her eyes. He kissed her cheek and her eyes flew open at the sensation. "Mmm" she moaned at his touch. He grasped her hand and lifted it up and kissed her knuckes.
She felt his kisses and could smell his scent. Her eyes opened again, this time focusing on the man leaning over her. She could not believe it. "Stefan?"
He smiled at her, his expression soft. "Yes, baby. I'm here." He sat back down just gazing into her eyes.
"Am I..." she rubbed her eyes, blinking again. Every time she blinked he was still there. But she knew he had died. How was this possible?
"You aren't dreaming, baby. I'm right here," he soothed her, his hand running through her hair.
"But how, I mean. Oh my God." She had no idea how this was possible but she could feel his fingers threading through her hair. She leaned into his touch, just as she had back at the school and he smiled again at her. She flung herself in his arms and he caught her as she catapulted onto him.
He closed his eyes, holding her tight as he buried his nose in her hair. "Mmm baby, you feel so good." His hands were running up and down her back on top of his sweater she was wearing.
She leaned back to look in his eyes. "How are you here? If I'm not dreaming..." she looked around and gasped out loud, seeing dozens of candles lighting up the room in a romantic glow.
"Wow, Stefan. Did you do this? Are you really here?" Her voice was choked with emotion.
He smiled again. He could seem to stop smiling since he had seen her sleeping in his bed wearing his clothes. "I am, Mrs. Salvatore."
He stood up and pushed play on his phone and held out his hand to her. "May I have this dance?"