chapter rating: pg-13/teen
word count: 9,860
-3-
It was officially the day before her Mystic Falls high school debut and Caroline was feeling oddly calm. Maybe it was the culmination of four months' worth of observing, but she felt like she was ready to do this. Tomorrow they would talk to Elena, gain her trust, figure out what was going on, and then, well, as long as it wasn't anything too crazy, or dangerous, they could leave. Of course, if it was crazy and dangerous, then she had to come up with a new plan of action.
The door to her bedroom swung open then and admitted her niece.
"Is this the part where you tell me not to make you look bad?" Caroline wondered.
Sarah rolled her eyes. "Not… exactly."
"No?" She snorted. "You're not worried your lame aunt might show up at school tomorrow and soil the good family name?"
Scoffing, Sarah crossed the room to take a seat on the end of Caroline's bed. "There's not a whole lot to soil. I mean, I don't know if you've noticed, but we're pretty low key around here."
"This whole town is low key," Lexi commented from where she lay sprawled on the bed, leafing through a magazine. "This is yours, by the way. I'll return it when I'm done soaking up the celebrity gossip."
Sarah shrugged. "Take your time."
"Low key or not, I promise I won't do anything to embarrass you. And neither will Lexi, isn't that right?" Caroline threw a nearby t-shirt at her friend, who frowned in her direction.
"Sure. No embarrassing the Pipsqueak, got it."
"And no calling me 'Pipsqueak," Sarah groaned. "At least not where anyone can hear you. Please!"
Grinning, Caroline nodded. "Sure. No nicknames." She finished hanging up the last of her clothes and then walked toward her, arms crossed loosely over her chest. "So you know the story, right? You memorized the folder?"
"You're my long lost twin cousins, you moved around a lot, your parents died, and now you're staying with us." Sarah nodded. "That's it, right?"
"Yes!" Caroline took a seat at her desk chair. "Chances are, nobody will even ask. I mean, you're two grades below us, so…"
"Yeah, it's a small town, word travels. Trust me, they'll ask." She leaned back on her elbows. "And… since I'm doing you this big favor and all, I was hoping you might do me one in return."
"You're not driving my car," she said, seriously. "You don't even have a license!"
Sarah shook her head. "No, not the car. Although a ride would be nice. But I was thinking… let me raid your closet?" She stared up at Caroline hopefully.
Caroline prolonged the agony a few seconds, but eventually said, "Sure. What's mine is yours. Just… don't spill anything on it."
"Yes! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Hopping up off the bed, Sarah hurried over to the closet and began looking through Caroline's extensive wardrobe. "Is this real Italian leather?"
Caroline smiled. While her reasons for sticking around in Mystic Falls were shaky, at best, getting to spend some time with Sarah made it a little more worthwhile.
[…]
A knock on his bedroom door drew his attention and Stefan looked up, hand instinctively moving to cover the new ink he'd penned across his journal. "Come in," he called, turning in his desk chair.
The door cracked open before Liz popped her head through and half-smiled at him. "It's late," she said, looking past him to his journal before her gaze softened and met his once more. "I saw the light on, wanted to check in with you."
He nodded. "Yeah, just finishing up, then I'm heading to bed."
"You've got everything you need for tomorrow?" The door opened a little wider and she stood against the jamb, arms loosely crossed over her chest. "Senior year, that's a big one… Won't be long before you've got your diploma and you're on your way to college." There was something sad and wistful about her voice, but she tried to cover it with a smile, her brows arching.
"Still got a year left," he said, tapping his fingers against the desk. "And I've got everything. I made sure I picked up some supplies for Eddy too. Lost her in the art supplies for a while, but I think she got a few things off the list the school sent."
"Good, good. I… I'm sorry I couldn't take her this year." She chewed her lip and looked to the floor. "I know it seems like you're taking on a lot more responsibility lately, especially with Eddy."
"I don't mind." He shook his head. "I know you're busy."
She winced. "I am. But I won't always be. I'm trying to rearrange my schedule, make things a little easier… I know I've said that before, but sometimes things happen, and I can't always plan for them, and—"
"Mom," he interrupted, half-smiling at her. "It's fine. I'm fine, Eddy's fine… we're fine."
Liz stared at him searchingly, before nodding slowly. "Would you tell me if you weren't?"
He hesitated, his eyes cutting away. Would he? He'd gotten used to the way his life was now. No dad, absent mom, just him and Eddy trying to make things work. It wasn't so bad. A little lonely sometimes, but maybe that was just how life was. Lonely. "What brought this up?" he wondered, dodging the question.
"I don't know. I've just been thinking… I guess I'm getting introspective these days. Comes with getting old," she joked lightly.
He rolled his eyes, lips quirking at the corners. "You're hardly old."
"Older," she said, before shrugging. "I meant what I said before, about senior year, it's a big one, Stefan. A defining one. You start figuring out who you are and who you want to be and where you want to go. And maybe it'll be an hour away or half way across the country or in a completely different country altogether, I don't know. I do know that when I was your age, friendships were up and down, there was drama around every corner, and even though there were days I never wanted to remember, when it was over, I wished I could do it all over again. Even the bad days." She shook her head, and took a deep breath. "I just want you to be happy. I want you enjoy your last year of high school. To be with your friends and do everything you want to do. And I don't want you to look back on it and feel like you missed even one second of something great."
He stared at her, at the faint lines around her eyes and the exhaustion settling on her shoulders, and he nodded. "Okay. I will."
She smiled then, looking ten years younger and happier. "You promise?"
He chuckled under his breath. "I promise."
"Good." She stood a little taller then. "I'm on call tonight, so I might not be here in the morning. But I picked up a few things for breakfast. Make sure you eat before you leave for school, okay?"
He nodded. "Sure."
"Okay." She reached for the door handle then, and pulled the door toward her. "Get a good sleep. I love you."
"Love you too."
As the door closed behind her, he lingered for a moment, staring at it, where old pieces of tape still hung from a poster long torn off and tossed away. It was a few minutes before he turned back around in his chair and focused on his journal once more, half of a sentence staring back at him.
I don't know what this year will bring, but
His pen hovered over the page and, after a few seconds, he finally finished his thought.
I hope it's great. I hope I find whatever it is I'm looking for. I'm not sure what that is, but I'm ready to find out.
With that, he closed his journal, set it off to the side, and checked the clock. It was later than he wanted it to be, but he'd still get a solid six hours of sleep. Well, as long as Eddy didn't wake him up before his alarm. An unlikely hope, but one he had all the same. Dragging his blanket back from his bed, he climbed in, and reached for the lamp beside him.
Tomorrow, Stefan would be a high school senior, and life as he knew it would change completely.
[…]
High school was vastly overrated, and Caroline knew this first hand. Ten times over. She wasn't as creepy as the Cullens—so sue her, she watched Twilight, she was just curious!— keeping their graduation caps like some kind of memorial to their sad little lives, but she'd occasionally gone to school to keep up appearances or to see how the curriculum had changed. It was important to stay educated, and the world was always changing. She far preferred college to high school though. Much more liberal and far less dramatic. She could do without the catty 'mean girl' act that came with a new arrival. But… quite unfortunately, she was subjecting herself to another stint. Senior year. Sarah was already off meeting her friends, leaving Caroline and Lexi to their first day alone.
"For the record, this is stupid."
Caroline rolled her eyes. "If it's so stupid, why are you doing it with me?"
Lexi snorted. "To make sure it doesn't blow up in your face, duh." With a half-grin, she threw an arm around Caroline's shoulders. "Besides, Lee's on some all-boys road trip and I needed something to do."
"Uh-huh. Did you even bring any books?"
"Please, I knew you'd come prepared. I was just going to cheat off you all semester." Lexi winked at her and then bumped her hip with her own.
Despite herself, a smile broke across Caroline's lips. "Whatever. If we do this right, we can figure it all out in a week, tops. Maybe even a few days if she's particularly friendly."
"Her parents died like, four months ago, and from what we've seen through your stalking, she still seems pretty depressed."
Biting her lip, Caroline nodded. "I was kind of hoping she'd mostly be over that by now."
"Caroline!" Lexi laughed. "You don't just get over your parents deaths, especially if you were in the car when it happened and you were the only survivor."
"She's welcome." Rolling her eyes, Caroline paused on the sidewalk as she peered up at the large and looming high school. "I'm just saying… I put off this whole 'interrogate the orphan' thing so she could grieve, because I'm a nice person, but my experience with orphans with Katherine's face isn't great, so I'd really like to get this over with already."
Dropping her arm from Caroline's shoulders, Lexi held her elbow out for her friend to take. "Well, come on then, let's get it over with."
Taking a deep breath, Caroline lifted her chin, linked her arm with Lexi's, and walked confidently toward the school. She could already hear the whispers and the curiosity feeding through the crowds of people standing in the front field. But she blocked it out. None of them mattered. The only person she needed to know was Elena Gilbert.
[…]
Looking around the hall as she and Elena made their way toward her locker, Bonnie declared disappointedly, "Major lack of male real estate." Her brow furrowed with distaste. "Look at the shower curtain on Kelly Beach. She looks a hot mess."
Elena snorted.
Bonnie pulled her locker open and then turned, looking past Elena's shoulder, her mouth dipped down in a frown.
Seeing her expression, Elena turned to see Matt standing across the hall, dressed in his letterman jacket, ear buds plugged in. Not far down from him was Stefan. Though Matt's gaze was centered on Elena, Stefan kept his face forward, focused on the inside of his locker.
Elena raised a hand to wave at Matt, her mouth upturned in a faint, friendly smile. He stared at her blankly, and then turned to grab his book and slam his locker shut.
Bonnie finished trading out her books in her locker and taking what she needed to put in her bag.
"He hates me…" Elena crossed her arms and leaned back against the bank of lockers. "They both do."
Wincing, Bonnie lifted an apologetic shoulder. "I don't want to say 'I told you so,' but you had to know that dating them at the same time was a bad idea."
"We said we weren't exclusive," she defended.
"Okay, Ross Gellar." Bonnie rolled her eyes teasingly. "But… seriously… I mean, Matt and Stefan have been best friends even longer than we have… There were bound to be some hurt feelings."
"I know. I just… I didn't think I'd lose both of them."
"Well, that's what happens when you don't pick one."
"I meant to… I was going to. But then… everything with my parents, I just… I couldn't lose them too." She winced, staring at Bonnie searchingly. "I'm a terrible person, aren't I?"
"The worst," she agreed, but then reached out to hug her, squeezing her gently. "You were hurting, and I know you just wanted something good in your life. Something you could rely on. They love you, 'Lena."
"I love them too." She sighed, rubbing a hand over her face. "I just… I never wanted it to be like this."
"Give them time." Bonnie shrugged. "And maybe decide which one you actually want to be with."
Elena nodded, and turned her head to look back at where Stefan was finishing up gathering his books. He didn't look in her direction, simply closing his locker and walking away. She wondered if maybe that said more than enough.
[…]
Caroline listened with half an ear as the secretary informed her and Lexi that their records were incomplete as she fingered through two files of papers. "You're missing immunization records, and we do insist on transcripts. You said you moved here recently? I'm surprised your parents didn't come in earlier to clear everything up. At this point, it may be difficult to place you in the classes that you need. We prefer to have more warning before new students join us."
"It was all very sudden," Lexi said, smirking. "And hopefully temporary."
"Ignore my sister, please, she's just bitter about the move." Caroline pushed her sunglasses up on top of her head and leaned forward. "Can you check again?" She caught the secretary's gaze. "Everything you need is there."
The woman stared back at Caroline in a daze, her pupils dilating. A few seconds passed before she lowered her eyes to the paperwork. "Well, you're right. So it is."
"I'm sensing New York, and their mom's a model," Caroline heard behind her.
Someone else, someone she recognized, scoffed in reply. "You're really going to run this whole psychic thing into the ground, huh?"
"Pretty much."
Lexi's brow ticked up with curiosity before she turned, resting her back against the counter, and peered at the on-lookers. "Looks like we won't have to do much searching for your pet project," she murmured, before wiggling her fingers at the two girls.
Caroline turned to see them, Elena and another girl; beautiful, with long brown hair and perpetually upturned lips. They were staring back at her and Lexi, a little uncomfortable having been caught, but then a distant voice was saying, "Jeremy, good batch, man," and Elena's attention was drawn elsewhere.
"I'll be right back," Elena said, before she walked off, intent on engaging her brother.
Caroline peered at the other girl, who was shifting her feet awkwardly, and then offered a half-smile, before she turned back around to the secretary. "Don't scare her," she told Lexi.
Turning to her, Lexi raised an eyebrow. "Usually our visits are more fun. If we're going to be stalking poor, unsuspecting high school kids, I need to get my kicks somewhere."
"And making them nervous accomplishes what, exactly?"
Lexi shrugged. "Dominance. I never got the high school experience, but I like to think I would have been a queen bee."
Caroline laughed, shaking her head, and then took her and Lexi's class schedules from the secretary and thanked her. "Come on." She handed Lexi her papers. "We have work to do."
Walking forward, Lexi at her heels, Caroline glanced at the curious girl still lingering by the door, watching them. There was something about her, something oddly familiar that Caroline just couldn't put her finger on. But, she didn't have time for a second mystery. So instead, she said, "Hey," and continued on her way. Hearing the distant, somewhat surprised, "Hey," the girl returned.
Making her way down the hall, Lexi beside her, she listened for the familiar voice of Elena Gilbert, who had already exited the boy's washroom, where she'd followed her brother, and was making her way down the hall.
"Joint attack or you want to go solo?" Lexi wondered.
"Maybe solo would be less aggressive…" Caroline nodded. "She might feel overwhelmed with both of us."
"All right." She checked her schedule and said, "I'm going to find our first class. See you there?"
Caroline nodded distractedly as Lexi walked off ahead of her. Brow furrowed, Caroline considered how she might approach her. Ask for directions to her class or locker maybe. It was simple and a good opener for probing questions. She nodded to herself and hurried her steps just a little. If she could catch her before she went around the corner…
Unbeknownst to her, curious green eyes followed her down the hall, as Stefan Forbes watched the new girl with unexpected interest.
[…]
Stefan could count on one hand how many girls he'd been interested in over his seventeen years of life.
The first was Bonnie. He was eight years old and she had the prettiest green eyes he'd ever seen. Truth be told, she still did. But there's was a short-lived romance that consisted of sticky, popsickle stained hand-holding, dates on the jungle gym at recess, and a handful of kisses on the cheek. They lasted two weeks; he still considered it his most successful relationship. They ended up being better friends than anything else; aside from Matt, she was the closest friend he had.
After Bonnie, he shelved any romantic interests for a while. Then there was a three-month span where he thought marrying Vicki Donovan was definitely an option. She was wild and beautiful and her smile was full of reckless abandon. Of course, it also meant he and Matt would be actual brothers, so that was a definite upside. He kissed her exactly one time, when he was thirteen and she was sixteen (looking back on it, they were doomed from the start). Matt socked him in the mouth 3.5 seconds after, and Vicki laughed. She patted his shoulder later and told him he had some growing up to do still. It wasn't long before Stefan decided maybe he should date (and marry) someone a little less dangerous. She was a quick burning fire that promised to burn him, but Stefan was a quick learner. He stopped reaching for a flame that didn't want to be tamed.
By the time he was fifteen, his romantic world narrowed entirely. Elena Gilbert. He'd known her since kindergarten, even been acquaintances over the years, but he'd never seen her as much more than Bonnie's best friend. And then things changed. They all changed. They were at a party, half-buzzed, and from across the room, he heard her laugh, and his world felt like it tipped on its axis. Unfortunately, so did Matt's, and what came after that was two long years of unnecessary heartache. She loved him, she loved both of them, and she didn't want to pick one or the other. Some part of him understood that, or wanted to. It wanted to accept that there was enough of her to love both of them. He never considered himself a jealous person, but he soon learned sides of himself he'd never known were there before. Sides that he didn't like so much. Sides that were willing to sacrifice a friendship he'd held above all else since pre-school. But that was over now. All of it was.
After everything that happened with Elena, and his friendship with Matt crumbling, Stefan spent the summer moving on, and decided that his senior year would be romance free. He wanted to focus on his friends and himself and get back to who he was, whoever that turned out to be.
And then a girl walked by, long blonde hair trailing down her back, sunglasses perched atop her head. She reached up to tuck her hair behind her ear, a blue and silver ring glinting under the cheap, fluorescent hallway light, and he found himself following her with his eyes, head craning to keep her in sight as she moved. Pale skin and rosy cheeks, she walked smoothly through the halls, an unfamiliar face in an all too familiar landscape. He wanted to know her. He needed to.
Later, he would realize that was just the beginning. A split second of a moment that would turn everything upside down, and he wasn't so sure he wanted it right side up again.
[…]
Caroline wasn't a fan of history. Maybe because she'd spent most of her life there for it, or maybe because it had always, and would always, bore her to tears. It didn't help that the teacher, Mister Tanner, had one of those voices, the droning quality that told her she would much rather be having a nap than listening to him talk about anything. Lexi seemed to agree, as she was currently doodling in one of the notebooks Caroline had gifted her with at the beginning of class. Catching up with Elena had been a no-go when the bell rang and the halls were quickly filled to capacity; she'd been forced to abandon her plan until later.
"Once our home state of Virginia joined Confederacy in 1861, it created a tremendous amount of tension within the state. The people in the Northwest region had different ideals than those from the traditional Deep South. Then Virginia divided in 1863 with the Northwest Region joining the Union…"
Caroline tapped her pen against her notebook absently, her brow furrowed as she considered the problem in front of her. She wasn't known for her ability to be patient; the fact that she lasted four months already was a miracle, and she wanted to deal with this whole Elena/Katherine issue as quickly as possible.
Feeling the weight of someone's stare on her back, her head turned, searching it out, and she soon found a boy across the aisle from her. Green eyes, carefully coiffed brown hair, and a faint smile pulling at his mouth. He was… handsome. In that classic way she rarely saw anymore. Or maybe she was projecting. Either way, he was cute. And staring at her. She blinked, and turned her gaze away, forward to the teacher. But a few seconds passed and she found her eyes slowly wandering back toward him. His smile widened when he caught her eye again. Caroline didn't know she could still blush, but she felt her cheeks flame, and cursed herself for giving in to curiosity.
He might be cute, but he wasn't who she needed to be focusing on.
[…]
As break came around, Caroline found herself digging through her new locker, trading in one book for another.
"Okay, I don't want to point out the flaws in this plan, but how long are we supposed to be here?" Lexi wondered, leaning against the locker beside hers. "Seriously. I know I said I missed out on the high school experience, but now I'm kind of relieved I did. This place is boring and it's the first day, but we've already been assigned homework!" Her brows hiked at the indignity.
Caroline snorted. "So compel them to give you an A." She shrugged. "I just need the right opening."
"Care, honey, she's human. Walk up to her, ask her what's up, and compel her to be honest."
Lips pursed, she shook her head. "If something really is up, that could backfire massively. Just… Let me do this my way, okay? I just need to be delicate."
"Well, what's the plan then?" Crossing her arms, Lexi raised an eyebrow. "Because I'm ready to skip the rest of the day and head back to the boarding house. Uncle Zach said he was making lasagna for dinner, and you know I can't say no to lasagna."
"Okay, a) still creepy you call him that, and b) we have plans tonight. We're going to the Grill. Everyone hangs out there. I'll talk to Elena then."
"I'm still not seeing any reason I can't go home and nap for the rest of the day." She jutted her lip out in a pout. "Come on… We could pick up lunch, even scope out this Grill place if you want, and then lay around in bed, watch movies, plot, you know, girl things."
Caroline laughed, biting her lip. "It's the first day…"
"Of a senior year we don't plan on finishing." Lexi rolled her eyes. "You don't even plan on seeing Elena until tonight, so what's keeping you here now?"
"Nothing. I just…" she trailed off, her attention briefly drawn by the boy passing by. He was smiling at her again, but he ducked his eyes and continued walking, and this time it was her who followed after him with her eyes.
"Who's he?" Lexi wondered.
"What? Nobody. I—I don't know him. He's just… He's in our history class."
Unconvinced, she raised an eyebrow. "Mm-hmm…"
"Whatever. That's not important." Caroline looked back at Lexi. "I'm finishing out the day. If you want to go, I won't stop you. Just… stop flirting with my nephew. It's creepy."
She smirked. "I can't help it. I flirt when I'm bored. And Zach's cute."
"Ew, Lexi. He has a wife. And no! Just, no! Lee is cute. You know, your boyfriend."
"Oh, flirting never hurt anybody. Gail knows I'm just teasing. Besides, he's half-terrified of me. The flirting puts him at ease. He thinks if I like him I'm less likely to tear his jugular out with my teeth."
"Right, so, no flirting and no jugular tearing."
"One out of two isn't bad." Lexi winked before she sauntered off. "I'll see you later. Have a good day at school!" She waved over her shoulder.
Caroline huffed, but turned back to her locker to finish getting what she needed.
"Cutting out this early? I guess I can't blame her with Tanner first period…"
Startled, Caroline turned, blinking as she found Elena's friend standing not far from her. With a grin, she waved a friendly hand. "I'm Bonnie. Bonnie Bennett."
"Caroline Salvatore," she replied, waving back.
"I know. We have first period together." She nodded, casting her eyes away briefly. "So that was your sister?"
"Hm? Oh. Yeah, uh, Lexi."
"You're… twins?"
"Fraternal."
"Oh, cool." Her nose scrunched up cutely. "The only other twins in Mystic Falls are Matthew and Ren, and they're total Yetis."
Caroline blinked.
"Hairy," Bonnie clarified. "Trust me, you'll know who I'm talking about when you see them."
"Uh, okay." She smiled faintly. "So, you grew up here then?"
"Mm-hmm. Born and raised." She shrugged. "Where'd you grow up?"
"Oh, well, I actually lived in Mystic Falls a long time ago. My family owns the Salvatore Boarding House. I have a cousin that goes here. Sarah Salvatore? She's a sophomore. Anyway, my parents moved around a lot; my dad was military. Now we're back here, living with our uncle and his family."
"Oh. So your parents…?"
"They died. But, it's okay… Feels like it was forever ago."
"I'm sorry." Bonnie frowned. "Really. That must've been hard."
"It's okay. We're… coping." She shook her head, readjusting the strap of her book bag. "Anyway… Enough depressing stuff. What is it you do around here for fun?"
Bonnie grinned, rolling her eyes. "Not a whole lot. Small town, so… We hang out at The Grill, party down by the falls sometimes, and there's a lot of town events we usually get roped into. But, other than that, town's pretty boring."
Caroline nodded. "The Grill?"
"Yeah, Mystic Grill, it's really the only hang out. You should come by tonight, I can introduce you to people, if you want."
"That'd be great." She grinned. "Thanks."
"Sure." Bonnie glanced down then, at the paper in Caroline's hand. "Hey, what's your next class, maybe I can help you find it."
"You're a lifesaver." She handed the paper over and Bonnie smiled.
Caroline closed her locker before joining Bonnie in walking down the hall. This was good. If she could get a foot in the door with Bonnie, it was one step closer to Elena.
[…]
After a long day of school, most of which was less than interesting, Caroline was happy to be back home. Sarah had caught a ride with a friend, so she was left to her own devices. As she walked into her bedroom, she wasn't all that surprised to see Lexi sprawled on her bed.
"Did you change?" Caroline wondered, dragging her book bag off her shoulder and putting it on the floor by her desk.
"What, this is our big introduction to Mystic Falls' cool club, right? I need to look my best."
"How cool is anybody in high school, really?" Shaking her head, Caroline took a seat in her desk chair. "Anyway, this is our first meet n' greet. Bonnie's introducing us to her friends. Specifically, Elena."
Humming, Lexi flipped the page in her magazine. "Yeah, what about Cute Guy?"
Caroline frowned, her brow furrowed. "Who?"
"Don't play dumb. I saw the staring and the smiling…" She smirked. "You like him."
"I don't know him." She shook her head and started gathering her hair up to style it. "He's just some random boy who happens to go to our school. He might not even be there."
"Uh-huh, but if he is… you should talk to him."
She scoffed. "Lexi, he's seventeen."
"So are you."
"Yes, forever." She rolled her eyes. "We're not here for boys. We're here—"
"To solve the Elena/Katherine thing. I know," she groaned. "But come on… How long has it been since you've shown any interest in someone?"
"I show interest," she said defensively.
"When?"
"I… There was Penelope, back in 1930. You liked her! She was hot and funny and… And there was Elijah. We were on and off for decades!" she reminded, pointing a brush in Lexi's direction.
"Please, you just hooked up whenever you happened to be in the same place. I wouldn't call it the romance of the century. Anyway, I'm still not convinced that wasn't some weird, lonely hearts who can commiserate over Katherine Pierce fan club thing."
"Okay, rude. Elijah was a good guy. We just… had different life goals."
"Yes, his was being incredibly secretive while he did odd jobs for his weird brother and yours was trying to keep your brother from self-imploding. When you think about it, pretty similar goals, just different brothers."
"Which is good, otherwise what we did would be called incest."
Lexi snorted. "Whatever. All I'm saying is you need to get laid, and maybe fall in love. Those don't need to be mutual and they don't need to be the same boy, or girl for that matter, but it's been ages."
"I'm a vampire," she reminded with a shrug. "I have an eternity for all of that."
"Not if you spend it all either cleaning up Damon's messes or trying to get ahead of him before he makes them."
Tossing her brush away, Caroline shifted in her chair to see her better. "This isn't just about Damon. It's about me, too. I need to know why she looks like her."
"Because…?" she prompted.
"Because it wasn't just Damon's life she upheaved. And what happened to her, how she came into our lives, the disaster she left in her wake, I… I have questions. Questions she can't answer. But maybe… I don't know. Maybe Elena can."
"How?" Lexi discarded her magazine and sat up. "Care, she's a normal, human girl."
"So we think." Caroline frowned. "I just need to know for sure."
"And if she is? If she's some boring human who doesn't know anything about Katherine… What then?"
"Then… we leave. And we makes sure Damon never finds her."
"What do you think would happen if he did?" Lexi wondered seriously. "He loved Katherine. You really think he'd hurt someone that looked just like her."
"Maybe. Maybe not." She shook her head. "All I know is that face has haunted him all his life… It's time he laid that ghost to rest."
Lexi hummed. "Maybe he's not the only one who should."
Caroline glared at her best friend. "Thank you, Dr. Phil. But I'm perfectly healthy."
"Is any vampire really healthy?" she teased.
With a snort, Caroline stood from her seat and walked to her closet. Maybe a change of outfit was what she needed. Tonight was the night she finally made some headway in the mystery that was Elena Gilbert. The least she could do was look good for the occasion.
[…]
In the rankings of best friends, Bonnie Bennett was high on Stefan's list, especially since he and Matt were barely talking. Which was why he felt comfortable asking her what he was…
"What's this about anyway?" Bonnie eyed him suspiciously.
"I can't be curious?" Stefan shrugged, walking beside her as they made their way through the Mystic Grill. "I saw you two talking, I thought maybe you could tell me who she was."
"You're in our history class. You heard her name called."
"Okay, but, that's all I heard." He stared at her searchingly. "She seemed… nice."
"She seemed hot," Bonnie said knowingly. He sighed, and she rolled her eyes, taking pity on him. "Caroline's a military kid. Her and her sister Lexi moved here to live with their aunt, uncle, and cousin up at the Salvatore Boarding house. Apparently she lived here when she was younger, but… I don't remember her. Anyway, her parents died, so that's why she's back in the illustrious Mystic Falls. She said it was a while ago though, so I don't know if she's just been living with other family or what." She shrugged. "And that's all I know."
He nodded, lips pursed and brow furrowed.
"Well, that and she's going to be here tonight." She smirked. "I'm introducing her and her sister to everyone, so… I guess you can ask her yourself."
"Ask her what?"
"Whatever it is you want to know." Bonnie raised an eyebrow. "But, just some friendly advice… Be sure, okay? This thing, with you and Elena and Matt—"
"Elena made her choice."
"No, she didn't." She frowned. "She didn't pick anyone."
"Yeah, and that was a choice in itself." He shrugged. "I'm over it. I'm over Elena. She wanted the summer, we gave it to her. I'm not going to chase her. If she can't pick between us, then she shouldn't. Look, I—I'll always care about Elena, but… Matt's my best friend. This never should have happened."
"So that's it then?" She looked skeptical. "You're just over it?"
"I…" He paused, trailing off, and his gaze focused on the front door as two blonde girls stepped inside.
Unbuckling her jacket, Caroline shrugged it off, hanging it over her arm, and showing off a bright red tank top underneath. The glint of a gold locket glittered under the shine of a lamp light, and she turned, smiling at something her sister said, nodding as she laughed. Stefan's heart stuttered.
"Yeah. I… I'm over it," he murmured, and then he blinked, and stepped past Bonnie.
Bonnie watched him go, making his way toward Matt. Shaking her head, she turned on her heel and made her way over to Caroline and Lexi. She grinned as they turned toward her. "Hey, you made it."
"We did." Caroline nodded, casting his eyes around. "It's a nice place."
She shrugged. "It works." Turning to Lexi, she smiled. "We haven't really met. I'm Bonnie."
"Lexi," she returned. "Nice to meet you."
"You too." Bonnie looked between them. "Elena's not here yet, but I thought I'd introduce you to the others." She started backing up, smiling encouragingly.
Caroline glanced at Lexi and then nodded. "Sure. Lead the way."
They followed Bonnie up the stairs to where the dining area took up the right half and the pool tables took up the left.
At a table sat Matt, Tyler, and Stefan, each nursing a Coke. Bonnie stopped behind the fourth, remaining chair and leaned on it, her hands loosely gripping the back. "Guys, meet Caroline and Lexi Salvatore. They just moved back. They've been traveling for a while." Bonnie pointed back to them with her thumb. Turning to the girls, she said, "This is Matt Donovan, Tyler Lockwood, and Stefan Forbes."
Matt half-smiled, and raised a friendly hand. "Hey."
Tyler nodded at them, smirking as he leaned back in his chair, and gave them each a quick look-over.
But Stefan… Stefan only had eyes for Caroline, and Bonnie still wasn't sure what to make of it. He lifted his fingers from the rim of his glass to wave them. "Hi."
Lexi nodded her chin. "Hey." She looked past them toward the pool table. "Any of you know how to play?"
"Sure," Matt said, beginning to stand.
Tyler clapped a hand on his shoulder. "Why don't we make it interesting? You two against us?"
"Caroline's not a fan," Lexi said. "But… Bonnie? You want to play?"
"Oh. Uh, sure," she said, brows hiked a little as she nodded. She stepped back from the chair and moved to follow them, while Caroline lingered behind, her gaze on the front door before it eventually wandered toward Stefan. "You'll be okay here, or…?"
"Fine," Caroline assured. "Have fun." When she looked past to see the boys were out of hearing range, she grinned at Bonnie. "Lexi's a bit of a shark. You should play for money."
Bonnie laughed. "Sounds like a plan."
Walking off to join Lexi, she paused, looking back, and watched as Caroline slowly pulled the chair out from the table and took a seat beside Stefan, who held a hand out for her to shake. Flushed and smiling, she reached back, and Bonnie wondered if maybe this whole Matt/Elena/Stefan triangle really was coming to an end. She just hoped nobody got hurt.
[…]
Caroline wasn't the type of person who got awkward often. She'd been through too much in her life already. But there was a strange tension threading through her as she sat at the table with only the cute boy from her history class. She shifted in her seat, twisting the ring on her finger, and cast her eyes toward the front door of the Mystic Grill. If she could just focus on the task at hand, maybe things would get easier. It would probably help if she couldn't smell his cologne, which was a nice mix of wood and spice. It felt like every inhale was wrapped in his scent and it was ridiculously distracting. And not even a 'hungry' way. She'd made sure she ate before they left the boarding house. So her sudden focus on Stefan was all him.
Clearing his throat, Stefan shifted forward in his seat, elbows resting on the table. "So… How are you liking Mystic Falls so far?"
She half-smiled at him. "Well, so far I've seen my house, the high school, and this place… I guess I'll reserve comment until I see a little more."
He laughed, ducking his head. "Honestly… There's probably not a lot more to see."
"So I've heard." She shook her head. "I lived here, when I was a lot younger, but… I don't know. It's changed a lot from what I remember."
He nodded. "Bonnie said you'd been traveling… Where else have you been?"
"Oh, uh, everywhere… It feels like I've visited every major city twice over. I was in New York before this. It's busy, but I like it."
His brows hiked. "Big change from there."
"Yeah, definitely, but… not a bad change. Just different." She shrugged. There were days she missed her apartment and the view it offered her, and then other days when she was content where she was. "Sometimes it's nice to get away from the noise and pollution and traffic."
"So you think you'll be here long then, or…?"
"I don't know." She fiddled with her fingers. "I mean, last year of high school and then off to college, right?"
"Yeah. A lot of people around here end up going to Whitmore. It's about an hour's drive from here. Good school. Bonnie's grandma is a professor there."
"Really? Of what?"
"Occult studies." He grinned at her raised brows. "Yeah, I know. It's kind of cool though. Sheila's kind of a big name in that area."
Curious, she leaned forward. "That 'area'…? Are you a big fan of the occult?"
"I wouldn't say fan, exactly. My, uh, my family was maybe a little more curious about it in the past. My mom's a skeptic, but I've always wondered." He reached up, scratching a hand behind his ear awkwardly. "That's weird, isn't it?"
"No, not weird." She shook her head. "Your family… Bonnie said your last name was Forbes. They were a founding family of Mystic Falls."
"Yeah." He nodded. "Yeah, my great, great, great grandfather or something was the Sheriff here back when it was founded. My mom is Sheriff now. I guess she's a Forbes by marriage more than blood, but it's still kind of history repeating itself."
Her eyes widened a little. "Wow."
"I probably don't have to tell you. I mean, your family is a Founding Family too, right?"
"Yeah, uh… Giuseppe Salvatore. He had a plantation house around here. I think it's abandoned now, probably in shambles." Her gaze wandered away briefly. "I was named for his daughter, actually. So was my brother."
"You have a brother?"
"I do. Damon. He, uh… He's a little older, so he's not here with us." She tipped her head, wondering, "What about you? Any siblings?"
"A little sister, actually." He grinned. "Edith, but she likes to be called Eddy."
"Eddy. That's cute." She smiled. "How much younger?"
"She's ten." He nodded. "She wanted to come out tonight, but my mom has a rule that she can't come here at night until she's at least thirteen."
"Oh." Her brow furrowed. "Where is she now then?"
"At the station, probably. My mom's a bit of a workaholic."
"And your dad?"
"He… left." His lips folded uncomfortably. "About a year ago. He, uh, he and my mom got divorced and he moved out of town… With his boyfriend." At Caroline's surprised look, he nodded. "Yeah, I know. Complicated."
"Just a little…" It was an unconscious move, but she reached over, dropping a hand over his. "I'm sorry. That must've been really hard."
"Yeah, well…" His gaze fell, staring at her hand, a faint upturn to his lips.
Caroline's eyes followed his and, for a moment, all she could do was stare. She hadn't meant to touch him; she hadn't even thought about it. It just happened. His skin was warm and soft. Panic suddenly struck her chest and she released his hand immediately, drawing her own back into her lap.
"Come on!" Tyler exclaimed loudly.
Turning, Caroline looked to the pool tables, where a grinning Bonnie and Lexi were high-fiving.
"She looks like she's having fun," Stefan commented.
"Yeah. Lexi finds fun wherever she goes. She's great like that."
"You too are close."
"Best friends." She blinked, and then looked over at him. "Twins. It's kind of a given."
He nodded. "I get it. Eddy and I aren't twins, but we're close… I don't know how I would've handled it if I didn't have her to look out for after everything with our parents."
"Yeah. I get it. I mean, after my mom died, all I had was my brother. Uh, and Lexi. But Damon… It was like he thought he had to be strong for both of us. All of us. So… He just kind of shouldered it all. Never cried or broke down. He just… He was there to hold me up when my whole world felt like it was falling apart." Her brow knit. "I don't know what life would have been like if he wasn't there to watch out for me."
"Is he still in New York?" Stefan wondered.
"I don't know." She smiled vaguely. "He's a wanderer. After our dad died, he just kind of… went rogue. He's kind of like Lexi, except he doesn't look for fun, he makes fun. Where there's Damon, there's a party." She sighed, shaking her head. "Which wouldn't be bad, I mean, I love a good party as much as anyone else, but Damon's parties always get out of control, and… He's not great at cleaning them up." She laughed, shrugging. "Maybe he used up all his responsibility taking care of me."
"Well, speaking of parties. There's one down at the falls tomorrow." He leaned in, drumming his thumb atop the table. "It's a back to school kind of thing. Free alcohol, bonfire, plenty of drunk people embarrassing themselves…"
"Fire and alcohol. And the Sheriff lets you go?" she joked.
He smiled. "I like to think she trusts me."
"Ah. One of those responsible Sheriff's kids." She nodded. "I guess you're who my uncle would want me to associate with then, huh?"
"I'm great with uncles," he agreed, mouth twitching with amusement.
She laughed, biting her lip. "I'll keep it in mind. As for the falls, I might need you to give me directions. It's been a while since I was out there."
"I can pick you up," he offered. She heard his heart skip a beat. "If you want."
She shouldn't. She knew she shouldn't. Warning signs were blinking in her head that this was a bad idea. That he wasn't part of the plan, and she always stuck to the plan. But… "Um, su—"
"Elena!" Bonnie called out, waving her over.
Caroline's attention diverted toward the front of the Grill to find a half-smiling Elena Gilbert making her way toward her best friend, who left the pool table and walked toward where Caroline and Stefan were sitting, Lexi just behind her.
"Was starting to think we'd have to send a search party out for you," Bonnie joked.
Elena rolled her eyes. "Sorry. You remember I had that wipe out at the cemetery? I can't find my journal anywhere, it's weird. I must've dropped it."
"We can stop by there tomorrow, before school," Bonnie offered.
"Yeah, thanks." Her gaze darted past her to Lexi, and then toward the table, where Caroline was sitting a little straighter.
"Oh, right! Uh, Elena, this is Lexi and Caroline Salvatore. Lexi is an expert pool shark, as Tyler and Matt have recently found out." Bonnie grinned encouragingly. "They just moved back."
Elena nodded, raising a hand in hello.
"Anyway, they were looking for a good place to hang out and I said I'd introduce them to everyone, so…" Bonnie smiled between everyone.
"Hey, how about that rematch?" Tyler called, fiddling with his pool cue.
Bonnie looked back at him, and nodded. "You want to join us? To be honest, I'm probably bringing down Lexi's game."
"Not at all," Lexi said, shaking her head. "You're doing great."
"It's fine," Elena said, resting a hand on the back of a chair. "I was going to get something to eat anyway. I'll meet you over there."
"Okay, if you're sure." Bonnie started stepping back, glancing briefly toward Caroline and Stefan.
Elena shook her head slightly and then shrugged off her jacket. While Bonnie and Lexi started back for the pool table, Elena dropped her jacket on the back of her chair and took a seat. Looking to Caroline, she said, "So you used to live here?"
"Yeah, a long time ago." She nodded. "We, uh, we have history together, right?"
"Yeah." Elena turned her gaze forward, staring at Stefan. "All of us do."
Caroline looked between them, a blanket of tension suddenly falling over them. It didn't feel like before, that strange sense of anticipation when it was just her and Stefan. Now it was something else, something she wanted no part of, and those warning bells of just a few minutes ago reminded her why there was a plan, and why she should stick to it.
"Stefan," Elena said, a heavy sort of emphasis on his name. "It's been a while."
"All summer," he replied, his smile vague and forced.
"I was hoping we could talk..."
His brow furrowed as he glanced away and then back to her. "Sure. We, uh, we should."
Caroline felt a swoop in her stomach that was anything but pleasant. "I'll leave you two to… that." Standing from the table, she grabbed her jacket off the back of her chair.
"Uh, Caroline…" Stefan stood, looking anxious. "About tomorrow—"
"I think I can find my way." She smiled between them, calm and unaffected. "It was nice meeting you. Have a nice night." She walked off then, making her way toward Lexi. Bonnie was busy taking her turn, and Lexi reached for Caroline as she paused beside her, wrapping an arm around her waist and drawing her in.
"Sorry," she said quietly
"About what?" Feigning a smile, Caroline shook her head. "I'm not here for him. My plan was to figure out Elena, and I will. Just, not tonight."
Lexi smiled sympathetically, and leaned her head over, resting it against Caroline's. "Still."
Wrapping her arm around Lexi, she squeezed her hip. "It's whatever."
"He's not even that cute."
Caroline snorted. "Liar."
"Fine. But I've seen cuter."
"Okay, Lee doesn't count. You're completely biased!"
Lexi scoffed. "Am not. I know he has faults."
Unconvinced, Caroline raised an eyebrow. "Yeah? Name one."
"He never hangs his wet towel up. He has terrible morning breath. And one time, he ate the last slice of pizza. He didn't even offer it to me."
Giggling, Caroline shook her head. "Stop! You're terrible. You and Lee are that awful couple that's going to be cute and perfect forever."
Grinning, Lexi shrugged. "As Fate goes, that's not the worst."
"No," she agreed, "it really isn't."
"Hah!" Bonnie cried triumphantly. "Pay up, boys, we win again!"
Caroline looked over to where Tyler and Matt were ponying up the cash, before her gaze eventually wandered back toward the table. Elena and Stefan were leaning into each other, her hand on top of his, their expressions heavy and focused. Though she could have listened in, she chose not to. It wasn't her business, and, in the end, it didn't matter. Whatever Stefan was or wasn't to Elena, it was unnecessary to what Caroline was doing. And so was he.
[…]
"She seems nice."
Stefan's brows arched briefly. "She is. But I don't think that's what you want to talk about."
Elena shifted in her seat. "This summer… When I asked for space, I thought it would help, that I would get some perspective or… I don't know. That there would be some huge epiphany, I guess."
"And?"
"And… I don't know. I just know that I miss you. Both of you." She reached over the table, laying her hand atop his. That feeling he used to get every time they touched, that spark of heat, was gone, and rather than being disappointed he found himself relieved. "What we had before, that wasn't bad, was it?"
"You mean when you were dating both of us?"
Elena frowned, her shoulders slumping. "You make it sound like it's some horrible scandal, but, it wasn't. I loved you. I loved both of you."
He hummed, nodding. "And we loved you."
"So? Why can't we go back to that? Why—Why can't it be like it was?"
"Because. I wasn't happy. I had you, yes, but only part of you. And I didn't have my best friend anymore. Matt and I… We couldn't be friends, not really. I can't… I don't want to share, Elena. And neither does Matt. It's just… It's not who we are. And it's fine that you are. It's fine that that's what you want. But I don't want to hate my best friend, and I don't want to resent you for something you were honest about from the beginning. It's just… this… us… it doesn't work."
"So it all comes back to me making a choice…?" Elena deflated. "You or him? And if I did, you could still be friends?"
"No." He stared at her squarely. "There's no choice. If you want to be with Matt, then be with him. But… I'm not part of this anymore. I'm done."
She swallowed tightly, her gaze falling. "Just like that?"
"I had the summer to think, and that's all I did." He covered her hand gently. "I'll always love you. I've known you since first grade. You were my first love. But…"
"But not your last." Elena nodded, blinking back tears. "I guess I can't blame you. I ruined your friendship, I hurt you…"
"It wasn't just you. Matt and I did this too. We let this come between us. We let it dictate our friendship, and that wasn't fair." He shrugged. "In the end, I'd rather have my best friend."
"Ouch," she whispered.
He half-smiled at her gently. "This is what you wanted, right? Now you don't have to hurt one of us."
"Just myself."
"You'll survive." He patted her hand. "You're tough."
She laughed, quick and short. "Doesn't feel like it."
"I know you. What you've been through. What you've survived so far… What's a little heartache?"
"Currently?" She reached up to dash a tear from her cheek. "Feels pretty huge."
His thumb rubbed her knuckles. "We're still friends. Always."
"Yeah." She nodded, swallowing tightly.
As he began to untangle his hands from hers, she gripped him tighter. "If I'd picked you, just now, if I said it was you… Would you have picked me too?"
He stared down at her, his expression sad. "No."
She gazed back at him a moment longer, and then she let him go.
Leaning down, Stefan pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "Be happy, okay?"
Unable to reply, she simply nodded, and Stefan gathered up his jacket from the back of his chair. He looked over to the pool tables, where Lexi and Caroline were wedged together, laughing at Bonnie as she fanned herself with the money she'd won off Tyler and Matt. His gaze lingered on Caroline for a few seconds longer, the smile she wore, the way the light caught her hair and made it seem especially shiny, and then he turned on his heel and walked toward the door.
Digging his phone out of his jeans, he thumbed through his contacts before holding his phone up to his ear.
"Psychic Hotline, you're on with Eddy, what's your question caller?"
Grinning, he rolled his eyes. "Real funny, Ed. Are you at the station?"
She scoffed. "Where else would I be? Mom's on a call, so I'm in her office. I've got a stack of papers and a 'Solved' stamp in front of me."
"I'm done over here. I was thinking we'd get pizza, watch a movie… That is, if you've done your homework."
"Homework? What homework? You had me at pizza."
He chuckled under his breath. "Get ready. I'll be there in five."
"Roger that!" she cried, before hanging up.
Stefan snorted to himself, and put his phone away in his pocket before he made his way outside. As far as relationships went, things were complicated, but a pizza date with his favorite girl was just what he needed.
[…]
Well, her day hadn't gone quite as well as she hoped, but Caroline comforted herself with the fact that progress was made. Small as it was. Bonnie offered the perfect in for meeting Elena, and while they'd only spoken briefly, it gave Caroline the opportunity to reach out to her again, and soon.
Tying her damp hair up on top of her head, Caroline made her way downstairs, dressed in her favorite pajamas. Lexi was already tucked into a guest room, reading a book before bed. Slippers shuffling on the wood floor, Caroline ducked into the kitchen to pour herself a glass of water. She heard Zach's increased heartbeat long before he cleared his throat.
Pivoting toward him, she raised her eyebrows. Turning the glass over, she emptied it and rinsed it out before adding it to the dishwasher. "Hey," she greeted.
"Hey." He frowned grimly. "Have you seen this?" He held the paper up for her to see.
Brow furrowed, she walked forward and peered at the headline—Bodies Found Mutilated By Animal. "An animal attack?"
He shook his head, sighing. "You and I both know that's not what it was. If they're torn up enough, the police always suspect an animal."
Eyes narrowed, Caroline crossed her arms over her chest, feeling suddenly defensive. "Are you accusing me of something?"
"Of course not," he reassured. "I trust you and, as much as Lexi enjoys making me uncomfortable, I trust her too. Neither of you would do this. But the timing is... troubling. Mystic Falls is a different place now. It's been quiet for years, but there are people who still remember. And you being here, Lexi too, I'm worried that somehow it's going to stir things up."
"I don't know what happened to those people, Zach. I just know it wasn't us. Maybe, for once, it really is an animal attack. It's not completely unlikely." The dull sensation in the pit of her stomach said different though.
"No, it's not. But it does make me think... If I know two vampires that are living in Mystic Falls, successfully moving under the radar, then what are the odds there are more out there?"
Caroline frowned. "If there are... We need to do something about it." She shook her head. "I said I'd keep you safe, that's not exclusive to this Elena/Katherine stuff... If there's another vampire in town, I'll find them."
"And then what?" he wondered gravely.
She lifted her chin decisively. "Then whatever needs to happen, will."
He sighed, but nodded agreeably. "Keep me updated."
"I will," she promised.
With that, she walked out of the kitchen and climbed the stairs back to her bedroom, closing the door on a long and mostly unaccomplished day. With a sigh, she walked to her bed and flopped down on it, staring at the ceiling. Maybe tomorrow would be better.
[tbc: chapter four.]
note: consider this long chapter an apology for the long wait. i have had a killer flu that has just been kicking my ass. as soon as i thought it was getting better, it'd return with a vengeance. anyway, i hope there was enough stefan to make up for two stefan-less chapters. also, i really love his little sister eddy. you'll see more of her, and she just cracks me up. she's so much fun to write.
thanks so much for reading. please leave a review; they're my lifeblood.
happy holidays!
- lee | fina