Chapter 3
Only an hour later than expected, Caroline arrived in New Jersey. Her heart was pounding triple speed in her chest, she was nervous. Really nervous. She knew exactly what Tyler was going to say; how he was going to try and convince her that she was doing a really stupid thing, that she didn't know what she was getting herself into. She could recall several times in the past year in which similar discussions had been had, many of which had ended up with she and Tyler vamp fighting in nearby woods and then Tyler comforting her as she cried.
After an entire year of thinking, waiting and doing everything she could to forget about him, it had gotten too much. She couldn't bear to spend another day with him not knowing. Without seeing his face, without getting answers to all those questions that had lay unanswered for the last 12 months. One look into the backseat at her daughter and she knew it was a risk she had to take. She had sent a message to Tyler telling him the estimated time of arrival so he should've been arriving at any second. "Come on Tyler, where the heck are you?" she looked around at the surrounding area where he'd told her they'd meet, it didn't look particularly safe "This place is creeping me out…" she murmured only to be interrupted by a soft knock on the glass. He was there.
She quickly climbed from the car, locking the doors again and moving into his awaiting arms. He held her tight, his arms circling her and squeezing her against him "You are the craziest person I have ever known" he chuckled "Thank god you're safe. You weren't followed or anything were you?"
She shook her head "No, compelled anyone I had contact with to forget I existed. There's no trace of me." She said with a soft smile. "Did anyone suspect anything? You know you just leaving?"
"If you mean did he ask me where I was off too? no. Does he suspect something? Yes. They all do Care. Everyone suspects everything and everyone. The only person no one ever mentions is you, apart from him…no one can contact you"
Caroline scoffed "Being trying has he?" silence "exactly." She sighed "Anyway none of that matters right now. We need to go before someone starts asking questions and my child starts screaming blue murder because she's hungry, bored or whatever it is that takes her fancy this time" she sighed. "The attitude of her father..."
"How is my favourite mini blonde?" Tyler asked
"Grumpy, she's about as sick of this situation as her Mamma is" Caroline said pointedly, rolling her eyes Tyler just stood and stared "she's fine. In the back seat…"
Tyler was quickly over to the back of the car, reaching into the back as Caroline unlocked the door. "Hey squide…" he laughed lifting her into his arms and spinning her around, making her smile and giggle a little.
"Her name is Grace; Tyler, would it kill you to use it?"
"Say yes Mamma it would, I like Uncle Ty calling me Squide" Tyler said looking at Grace but was aiming his words at Caroline. "I can't believe how much she looks like you Care, she's your double"
"You think?" Caroline asked taking Grace from him as she reached out for her. "I don't really see it…" Caroline kissed Grace's forehead. "Every time I look at her it's like looking at him…"
Tyler nodded "She definitely has his eyes."
"Yeah and don't I know it." Caroline laughed "She can get anything with those eyes." Grace began to fidget in her arms a little as she went to put her back in the car seat. "I know, you don't like the car seat. We won't be long baby I promise…" she shut the car door again and turned back to Tyler.
"You shouldn't have brought her with you Caroline." he sighed
"I'm sorry" she started a little sarcastically "but she's my daughter, you know what I went through to make sure she was safe, I nearly died having her Tyler. I'd do anything in the world to protect her and I swore I was never leaving her from the day she was born. That doesn't change now. Where I go, Grace goes. So if you can't get your head around that you should go now and I'll go on my own."
"Stop care ok, I won't let you do it on your own. I know how much Grace means to you, I made a promise to the pair of you too remember?" Caroline nodded "Good. So let's go, I'll go first, you follow. We'll go straight to his alright?"
She swallowed "I'm scared Tyler. What if after everything he meant what he did?"
"Don't kid yourself Caroline. He loved you, he still does, and you both did what you did because of that love. Nothing's changed…"
"Everything's changed." she said and Tyler knew she was right. Everything had changed.
It was early evening when they arrived in New York, both cars parking a little down the way from the house Tyler had taken them too. "Are you ready?"
"No. But it's now or never." She took a step forward and then turned back to Tyler "I think I need to do this on my own"
"Is that wise?"
"what's the worst that can happen?" she shrugged "I'm going to need Grace…"
Tyler handed the car seat over "I'll wait right here."
Nodding, Caroline stepped up the few steps onto the porch and moved forward raising her hand, knocking several times on the wooden door. Her heart increased speed as she heard footsteps approach. Then the door opened and he stood in front of her. "Caroline…" his word was the breaking of her, her tears falling. She saw him look her over, his eyes reaching the car seat to which he swallowed. He stepped onto the porch, putting his arm around her for a split second as an act of impulse and then released her. "What's going on?" she didn't answer. "Come on let's get you inside before your seen"
She didn't move when he moved inside "you need to invite me in…"
"Sorry I forgot. Come in Caroline…" his eyes locked on Grace again "both of you…" She smiled slightly stepping inside with Grace, it took precisely 5 seconds before the car seat was on the floor and she was wrapped in his arms, the need to just be close too each other too hard to resist "Why are you here? And why do you have a baby with you Caroline, a baby who looks exactly like you and I?"
Wiping her eyes Caroline lifted a sleepy Grace "I couldn't not be with you any longer. She's my daughter…our Daughter, Stefan"
So question answered, baby Grace is Stefan's...but how? vampires cant have children right? back soon :)
