Author's Notes: This is my first attempt at angst and drama and my second story ever so please be kind :) This isn't beta-ed as well, so all errors are mine. Standard disclaimers apply.
Initially this should've been a chapter of my first story but I couldn't finish the story in a single chapter so I published it separately. I hope you like it! Read and Review! Let me know what you think (please.) I need your help. :)
"Absolutely not. Caroline, this is non-negotiable." He's trying to keep his calm the best he can, but between Elena being taken by Klaus' werewolf hybrids and Caroline's complete disregard for self preservation, he's just barely holding it in.
"She's my bestfriend, Stefan! You can't expect me to sit here and wait for you to text! I'm a freakin' vampire for Pete's sake! I can help!"
They're in each other's faces now and both clearly unhappy with each other.
"Caroline."
She wouldn't have heard it if she wasn't so close.
He does that every time they're in each other's throats. Always the logical, breathe in breathe out complement to her neurotic and compulsive self.
"You know I can't be able to focus on getting Elena back if you're anywhere near those hybrids."
She closes her eyes as his big hands travel down her arm and end up wrapping around hers. "We all want her back, babe, but we can't afford any distractions." He says, looking straight into her eyes.
She knows he's right. Heck, he's always right, but she felt a little pang in the chest when he referred to her as a distraction.
"Are we done with all the lovey-dovey yet? There's life saving to be done." Damon unceremoniously makes his way through the door, his game face and leather jacket at the ready.
Even though she's still mad at being called a distraction, she knows she will never allow him to leave without, at least, calling a truce.
"I love you." She says so quietly, matching his tone, as she wraps her arms around his neck.
"I more than you." He whispers back.
And they're off.
While they're away, Caroline keeps her mind busy by running their last conversation (not argument) through her head over and over.
She couldn't quite shake the feeling of Stefan's words in her ears. "We can't afford any distractions."
He knows what he means and she understands perfectly that he would rather not have her in the midst of a blood bath between hybrids and vampires, but it hurt nonetheless.
She decided to make the trip to her house she's been putting off for a week now. She drives mindlessly and drops of her laundry while stuffing her duffel bag with several sets of fresh clothes.
She's in the clearing in the woods when her phone rings and Stefan's halloween photo comes up, the one where he's dressed as a Smurf, a smile on his blue face. She can't help but smile a little at the photo, her heart swelling in her chest. She knows exactly what he's calling to say, knows they got her back. They wouldn't have come back so soon if they weren't with Elena. She's sure of it, she doesn't have to hear the words, so she let's it go to her voicemail.
Not three hours later, as she's parking her car in front of the boarding house, she finds her phone ringing again. It's Damon.
She barely has time to pick up her iPhone when Damon vampire-slams his fist into the hood of her car.
"What th.."
"Where the fuck were you?!" She hasn't seen Damon this mad before, and she can see clearly that he's tired and worn out.
"Why didn't you answer Stefan's call?!"
"I knew what he was going to say!" She doesn't quite understand where all the anger is coming from. Since when was it a crime to let calls go into voicemail? "I know you got Elena back! That you wouldn't come back til you did!"
"My brother went out looking for you after he got your voicemail. He was worried sick, Caroline! You didn't even be bother to leave a fucking note! He was shot several times and he's weak. Vervain was forced into him. He.."
His voice breaks and he's almost crying now, running his hands through his hair. He takes a breath, hoping to gain even a speck of composure.
"He went out to look for you within five minutes of getting here and guess what! Klaus' hybrids caught him in the highway!" He's so close she can feel the rage vibrating from him.
This must be how it feels like to get the life drained from you, she thinks. Like a dementor's kiss, sucking all the happiness out of you.
It was a blur of Damon and Alaric and Elena shouting on top of her head as she tried to make sense of the situation.
Elena, smelling a lot like she's been through hell and back, is beside her on the bed, while Damon is saying something she can't quite hear.
"You stay here with Elena, alright? We'll get him back."
She wants to go, too, but her stubbornness is what got them all in this situation anyway. She's what's gotten him into this, so she let's it go. She knows Stefan would kill Damon fifty times over if anything happened to her and she's sure Damon wouldn't forgive himself, too.
He makes to leave when her hands wrap around his wrist so tight he's not sure this is Caroline at all.
"Promise me, Damon." She says it like her life depends on it, because clearly, it does.
"I promise."
It's been 9 hours and 42 minutes since she heard the roar of Damon's motorcycle zoom out in the distance.
She's been walking all over the room all this time, picking up photos and tidying books.
She came across a photo of her tucked into one of his diaries. She was wearing his sweater in the porch of that bungalow in the woods they'd discover not long ago. She had a cup of warm blood in her hands and half her face shone in the sun rise.
"Sunshine of my life" was written in his neat cursive at the bottom of the photo.
Her vision blurred with the tears in her eyes as she heard her phone ring.
She found Stefan's photo peeking at her and her chest burned with yearning..
"Hello, love." She could almost hear the smirk in his voice.
"Klaus, don't you dare." She said, trying her best to sound condescending.
"I have someone who wants to talk to you but he can't quite speak at the moment."
"I will hunt you down and I will…"
"Oh honey. We both know you can't do that. We found Stefan in the highway looking a lot like he was lost so I had my hybrids take him here."
"I swear to god, Klaus, if you so much as…"
"Caroline, love. If you would only listen, we wouldn't be here right now."
All she could do was try not to let her voice break. She had to lean on the table for support. She was so sure her knees were going to give.
"He was so weak when we found him, he didn't even have the energy to resist. It looks like he hasn't fed in a while."
Klaus sighs at the end of the line, acting as though he wasn't happy about the developments.
"What the fuck do you want!" Is all her brain could muster.
"I'll let you know when I know, love. I just wanted to let you know so you don't worry."
And then the line was dead.