Hi Everyone! Finally the moment everyone has been waiting for! Steroline!

Thank you everyone for your patience so far. I know there have been some lengthy gaps in my chapter postings. I can't wait to hear what you think!

If there are any M fiction fans out there that are dying for a little Delena fun, please check out my short one-shot fic "Fifty Shades of Elena Gilbert". You won't be disappointed!

Disclaimer: I do not own The Vampire Diaries

Caroline sniffled and traced one of the magnolia blossoms on her bedspread with a finger. Her mind swirled with anxiety over what she had done. Her resume was ruined. Her future job prospects bleak. Why hadn't she just held her tongue and kept her thoughts to herself?

She had spent yet another day being berated by her boss, and dealing with the demands of self absorbed morons. She was feeling edgier than normal. Her mind could only focus on making it through the day and getting out of there in one piece.

Around 11 am, she had reached into the top drawer of her desk for the roll of quarters she kept to use in the vending machines. She didn't like to carry a bunch of change in her purse, since it made the bag heavy. Instead she left it in the very back of her drawer, behind a package of staples, for safe keeping. No one should have any reason to dig through to the back of her drawer, and she hadn't told anyone that was were her stash was kept.

As she pulled out the new roll, she noticed the end was ripped slightly. She didn't think much of it, until she realized that some of the quarters were gone. Quickly, she counted the quarters in the roll, using her nail to catch the edge of each one without having to completely unroll the entire bundle. $1.75. The exact same amount needed for a soda from the vending machine in the break room.

Her brain reeled as she tried to think through the scenarios that could have happened. She didn't believe any of the other assistants could have done this. They were all her friends. If any of them needed to borrow money, they would have just asked. No, this had to be someone else. Someone that didn't live paycheck to paycheck. Someone who didn't feel that stealing change counted as theft.

Someone like the infuriating people who ran the firm.

How could they do that? Sure it was only $1.75, which in the grand scheme of things didn't amount to much, but it was the principal of the matter! She was one of the lowest paid people there. What kind of person stole from the admin assistant!?

She could feel her hands shaking, the adrenaline and rage pumping through her veins at the injustice of the situation. She needed to leave the building. To go outside and breathe before she acted on her anger.

"Beth." She started, making her way over to her boss's desk. "I need to take an early lunch today. Do you mind if I leave?"

"Why?" Beth demanded, her eyes narrowed. Caroline tried to breathe slowly.

"I just need to eat early today." She repeated. Beth shook her head.

"No Caroline. You know that lunch is at 12:15 pm. If I let you go early, that's not fair to anyone else. You can leave at 12:15

"Beth please." She tried again. Beth interrupted her.

"I said no. You need to go back to your desk now Caroline." She replied, turning to her computer screen and ending the conversation.

Caroline felt her chest collapse from the weight of her anger. The world around her shattered, the sounds of the office dimming in her mind. Her eyes narrowed. Before she could stop herself, she heard two words quietly escape from her lips.

"I quit."

"Excuse me?" Beth replied, frowning. Caroline took a deep breath, the firestorm roaring in her ears.

"I... quit..." She repeated, her voice stronger now. "I am done working here. I am tired of being yelled at for events beyond my control, for being treated like I'm incompetent, and for being walked all over. I quit."

"Caroline, I think you're being over dramatic about this." Her boss retorted.

"You can think whatever you want, Beth. I am going to go clean out my desk." Caroline stated, her hand tightening around the quarters that she hadn't realized she was still holding. She looked down at the brown paper roll and gingerly placed it on Beth's desk. "If you can find the person that felt so entitled as to steal from me, feel free to give them the rest of this. They obviously need it more than I do."

Using all of her effort, she calmly walked back to her desk. Grabbing the few personal items that were scattered on her desk, she plucked her coat and purse from their hook. Back straight and head held high, with her best Miss Mystic Falls poise, Caroline walked out of the office. She did not look back.

"Oh my god Bonnie. What am I going to do?!" Caroline groaned, on the verge of tears. Bonnie rubbed Caroline's back in an attempt to soothe her.

"Well you were talking about doing something different right?" Bonnie asked cautiously.

"Yes, but not like this!" Caroline replied. "When they ask why I left, how do I explain that I lost my temper and walked out?"

"You could always leave it off your resume." Elena suggested from her seat on Caroline's windowsill.

"Yeah but then I have to explain a 3 year hole in my work experience." Caroline responded. Elena sighed, obviously unsure of how to continue solving the problem. Caroline could feel her friends eyes watching her with concern as she rubbed at her face, mascara smearing as she went. They had to admit that she did have a point. It would be more difficult to find a good job without having to explain what had happened.

"Well at least now you have some time to sit back and think about your next move. Reevaluate your resume and think about what direction you want your career to go in." Elena pointed out.

Caroline put her index finger to her mouth, rolling the nail between her teeth. She'd been able to break her habit of biting her nails years ago but the feeling of holding it between her teeth still calmed her when she was feeling anxious. The conversation she had with her father the day before popped into her mind. He had been telling her all about her Uncle's homestead. How it was such a peaceful spot and how wonderful it could be as a bed and breakfast.

"Maybe I don't need a resume." Caroline interjected slowly, an idea forming in her mind. Bonnie frowned.

"What do you mean you don't need a resume? Of course you need a resume. Who would hire you without one?" Bonnie asked. Caroline shook her head rapidly, blonde hair flying. She could feel the excitement multiplying in her chest.

"Not if I hire myself." The blonde's eyes lit up in a way that only happened when she was formulating a particularly off the wall solution. "I'm going to open a Bed and Breakfast." She stated.

Elena and Bonnie both stared at Caroline dumbfounded. It wasn't the first time she had seen that look, though it had been a while.

"You don't even know the first thing about running a Bed and Breakfast." Bonnie pointed out. "And just where are you planning on acquiring said business?"

"I'm going to buy my Uncle Calvin's place. Dad said it would be perfect, though it might need some updating." She smiled. "I've been talking about opening up a business forever. I might as well put my words to good use!"

"When you said you wanted to own a business, I thought you were talking about buying Ms. Jacob's wedding dress shop when she retired, not starting up a brand new business in a field that you have no experience in." Bonnie retorted.

Caroline scoffed, excitement briefly overtaking reason in her brain. Her friends were obviously not seeing the bigger picture.

"I'm sure I could figure it out. I do have a degree in business after all." The blonde answered.

"Care you are absolutely crazy." Elena replied, laughing. "But that's why I love you."

"I agree. This is insane, but it's great to have you trying to take on the world again." Bonnie added.

"Thanks, I think?" Caroline answered, looking at both of her friends. She pawed at her bed, reaching for the cell phone that lay in front of her. "I should probably call my dad before I go any further with this off the wall plan."

...X...

Bonnie had joined Elena on the window seat, while Caroline talked to her father. The two of them watched her speak animatedly into the phone, her left arm gesturing passionately.

"She knows how insane this is right? Does she even realize what she's getting herself into?" Bonnie asked her friend, keeping her voice low so as not to pull Caroline's attention away from her phone. Elena shrugged.

"I think she'd be good at it. She's always been the mothering type, so taking care of people is second nature to her. Owning a Bed and Breakfast is like having a large family but the members just change all the time." Bonnie watched Elena smile at their friend who was pacing the floor with the phone to her ear. "I would hope that with her fancy Ivy League education, she would have learned some of the basics, at the very least, on how to start her own business."

Caroline clicked disconnect on her IPhone, grinning widely. Her face was practically glowing with excitement.

"Daddy wants me to come out and see the place with him tomorrow. I think he's worried I've lost my mind." She stated, giggling slightly.

"I wonder where he could have gotten that idea from?" Bonnie muttered, crossing her arms over her chest. She wobbled slightly when Elena hip checked her, frowning.

"Well I'm happy for you Care, really. I hope it's everything you are looking for." Elena responded, encouragement rolling off her words.

Caroline sat down on the edge of the bed, the apparent weight of everything starting to sink in. Her smile faltered slightly as she fiddled with the edges of her phone case.

"What happens if I fail?" She asked quietly. Bonnie moved next to Caroline and draped her arm around her friend trying to provide some comfort to her.

"Then you pick yourself back up and try again. You're Caroline Forbes, former Miss Mystic Falls. A born leader!" Bonnie exclaimed. "And you'll always have us, remember?"

Caroline's smile was starting to come back. Bonnie could see the excitement filtering back into her features.

"You guys are the best. What did I do to deserve either of you?" She asked.

"Absolutely nothing." Elena answered, smirking. "Now tell us your plan."

...X...

Stefan had never understood what people meant when they spoke of fate. It always seemed like they were trying to make more of a situation than what it really was when they added that "mystical" quality to it.

He was too practical a person to think that what happened in one's life was caused by anything other than one's own choices. The forces of the universe had more important things to do than to try mess with him and his plans. No one was more in charge of what would happen to him than he was. At least that was how he had felt until today.

Today was the day that fate came up behind him and slapped him upside the head.

He hadn't wanted to go out for lunch. Stefan had too much paperwork to do, and frankly he was in a terrible mood. His brother had come home loud and drunk the evening before, and angrily proceeded to bang around for what felt like eternity. When he was finally done, he had left Stefan very few precious sleep hours before his shift at the animal clinic. The resulting Murphy's Law of issues that ensued throughout the morning had only served to add to his foul outlook.

If not for his best friend Lexi forcing the issue of getting out of the office for a bit, "it was a beautiful day after all and who couldn't benefit from eating lunch on the patio at Rosa's cafe", Stefan may have missed his first glimpse of the most mesmerizing woman he had ever seen.

"Earth to Stefan." A voice broke through his thoughts and pulled him back to reality. The woman sitting on the other side of the bistro table frowned at him annoyed. Stefan grimaced.

"Sorry Lexi. I didn't mean to ignore you." He responded. Lexi glanced down the street at the blonde that had caught his attention.

"Yeah. I can see why I became so unfortunate to pay attention to all the sudden." She remarked, her eyebrows rising into her bangs. Lexi laughed at the slight flush that Stefan could feel spread across his cheeks. "It's OK to look, or even date, as long as you don't start channeling your creep of a brother."

"I know I've had a bit of a..." He paused looking for the right words, his fingers drumming on his leg. "…dry spell lately. That doesn't mean that I'd even consider acting like Damon."

"No offense to your gene pool, because you could absolutely be a Casanova in your own right if you really wanted to, but your brother is a world class jerk." Lexi responded.

"I'm not sure if I should take that as a compliment or not." Stefan answered, watching the blonde haired female he had caught sight of earlier. She was happily talking to someone on her cell phone, her curled hair bouncing across her shoulders, completely oblivious to the world around her as she approached the crosswalk. This would have been fine, except for the black Porsche convertible screaming straight for her.

"Look out!" Stefan bellowed. Before he knew what he was doing, he found himself sprinting out of his seat toward her. Her blue eyes locked on his, fear splintering into their depths as she realized what was happening. He could hear the car starting to brake, but with the speed it had been going it wouldn't stop in enough time. Stefan grabbed her arm and pulled her back onto the sidewalk, barely avoiding a collision.

The car came to a stop several feet down the road, leaving the air smelling of burnt rubber and exhaust fumes.

"Stefan are you ok?!" Lexi yelled, running towards them. "That was amazing! I haven't seen you move that fast since high school!" She cheered as she approached them. Stefan looked down at the young woman standing before him. Her knuckles where white where they were clutching her phone and she seemed to be shaking slightly.

"Hey" Stefan asked softly, letting go of his grip on her arm. "Are you alright miss?"

"I think so." She replied, brushing strands of hair behind her ears. "Thank you. I don't want to think about what could have happened if you hadn't come along." She looked up at him, with a shaky smile. "I should have been paying better attention."

"I haven't seen you around here before." Stefan answered, trying to help get her mind off what had just happened.

"I'm new to the area." She answered, visibly calmer. "My name is Caroline."

"Stefan." He replied, giving her a smile of his own. Lexi's yelling caught his attention. She had moved toward the Porsche, and was loudly chastising the owner.

"Klaus you bastard. You almost killed someone! What is your problem?" She shouted at the dark haired man standing in front of her, checking for any damage to his car.

"But I didn't did I?" He retorted, his tone dripping with annoyance. "Honestly Lexi, don't you think you're over reacting a bit."

"It's a miracle that you haven't seriously injured someone yet. With the way you race around town in that thing." Lexi replied, her eyebrows knitted together in anger.

Stefan moved towards the bickering pair, hoping to arrange a cease fire to their argument. Lexi would have Klaus by the throat before this was over if he didn't step in. The two were the epitome of the phrase "fighting like cats and dogs." He noticed that Caroline had shifted down the street with him, her hands brushing over her pencil skirt and frilly blouse as she tried to calm the shaking in her hands.

Klaus straightened when he caught sight of Caroline.

"My dear, are you alright? I hope I didn't harm you in any way with my carelessness." He cooed, reaching out for her hand. Caroline looked from Stefan, to Lexi rolling her eyes, and back to Klaus. Stefan could tell she was getting a sense that she shouldn't let herself fall for this man's charms, but a polite smile appeared on her face.

"I'm fine, thanks to Stefan." She remarked. Klaus nodded, one side of his mouth curling in a flirtatious smile.

"Yes, Mr. Salvatore can be very useful when one needs a hero." He glanced at the restaurant Lexi and Stefan had been eating at. "How about we go get something to eat? My treat?"

"I'm sure that almost running someone over can make a person very hungry." Lexi remarked snidely, causing Klaus to frown.

"Lexi and I already have a table. There's room for you and Caroline if you want to join us." Stefan chimed in, casting a sidelong glance at his friend. Lexi shrugged.

"I'm not one to turn down a free meal." She replied, flipping her hair over her shoulder and turning back toward the patio they had been sitting on previously. "Besides, you owe Stefan for keeping you from manslaughter charges."

"Well since we've all invited ourselves to dine on my tab..." Klaus trailed off, gesturing toward Lexi's retreating form. Caroline snuck a questioning glance at Stefan who smiled and gave her a small shrug of his own before following after his fiery friend. Stefan gestured to the waitress to bring menus for the newcomers.

"Should you call back whoever you were on the phone with earlier?" Stefan asked Caroline. She blinked at him for a moment before realizing what he was talking about.

"Oh! That was just my friend Elena. I texted her to tell her I would give her the rest of my news when I see her tonight."

"Good news, I hope?" Klaus responded, handing his menu back to the waitress with his order. Stefan could feel himself getting more and more agitated with the Brit's attempt at flirtation.

"So far yes. I'm hoping to start my own business." Caroline chirped excitedly. "If everything goes well, I'll be moving here permanently."

"An entrepreneur? Someone after my own heart I see." He remarked, his dark eyes sparkling. "And what would this new endeavor involve exactly?"

"I'm going to open a Bed and Breakfast. My Great Uncle just recently passed away, but he had this really cool old farmhouse that would be perfect for it. There are these flowering cherry trees that frame the front walk, and even though it needs a bit of hard work it just has so much southern charm." Caroline explained. Stefan couldn't help but smile at the enthusiasm that poured out of her when she talked about her new project.

"You're not talking about Old Calvin Schuler's place? Over on Creek road?" Lexi asked.

"Yeah that's the one! Did you know Uncle Calvin at all?" Caroline replied, nodding.

Klaus stood up from the table unexpectedly, startling his three dining partners. Stefan noticed the stiff look he gave them, and the flash of anger that appeared in his eyes, dampened almost as soon as it started. Caroline seemed a bit uneasy but unimpressed by the response, which made Stefan feel the need to bite back a smile.

"I apologize but I need to be leaving. I have some business to attend to." He pulled out a hundred dollar bill and lay it on the table. Turning to Caroline, he gave her a tight lipped smile. "I'm sure we will be seeing much of each other in the future, my dear. It has been a pleasure." He intoned, drawling out the last sentence before taking his leave of the group.

Caroline looked at Stefan and Lexi her face appearing bewildered.

"Did I say something wrong?" She asked. Stefan let out a long breath that he didn't realize he had been holding.

"Klaus and my brother are associates, and sometimes friends." He remarked, trying hard to hide his sarcasm. "My brother was very angry when he came home last night. I think you just helped me to understand why."

"Because I'm interested in opening my own business?" She asked, still confused. "What does that have to do with them."

"Plenty. The Schuler property shares the south property line with the land that the Oak Ridge Inn sits on. It's the old Salvatore family, my family's, homestead." Stefan explained, understanding dawning on him as he spoke. "Klaus and my brother, Damon, have been trying to buy up the surrounding land to expand their holdings."

"So my Bed and Breakfast is threatening their territory." Caroline finished, her shoulders drooping slightly. "Oh god this is awful."

"No this is wonderful!" Lexi exclaimed. She smiled at Caroline. "Damon and Klaus will finally have to hear the word no. I love it!"

"I didn't want to start a war though." The blonde countered, but she did have a small smile forming.

"You may have a fight on your hands." Stefan added. "But if you're really doing this, keep in mind that there are several people in town that want them stopped. You'll have alli's if you know where to look."

Caroline nodded, though Stefan could see that her enthusiasm had been dampened significantly. Glancing at his watch, he realized that his break time was quickly coming to an end. Unfortunately, his afternoon was booked solid with appointments or he would have been very tempted to skip the rest of the day.

"I'm sorry to do this, but Lexi and I need to be getting back to the Animal Hospital. Are you alright eating by yourself?" He asked her.

"I'm not really hungry anyway. I should be heading back home so I can look over the purchase papers." She smiled at him, a light blush touching at her cheeks. "I appreciate the concern though."

"At least let me walk you to your car?" Stefan probed further. He caught Lexi smirking at both of them.

"I'll see you back at work Stefan." She interjected. "And welcome to town Caroline." Lexi added, a smile lighting up her face.

Stefan extended his hand to help Caroline stand up from her chair and the two of them started walking the short distance to her car. He watched her tuck a strand of hair behind her right ear. He wondered what it would feel like to do that himself. Were her curls as soft as they looked?

"So you work with Animals?" She asked politely in an attempt at small talk. Stefan nodded.

"I'm a Veterinarian. Newly minted, I might add. I just received my license in December." He remarked, chuckling softly.

"That's an admirable job. At least I know who to contact if I get a pet when I finally move here." She responded.

"Hopefully that's not the only reason you'd want to contact me?" Stefan inquired. He watched with anticipation as Caroline's cheeks flushed. She sucked in her lower lip with a shy smile. He had to admit it was an incredibly cute reaction. He had the sudden urge to kiss those strawberry lips and see if they tasted anywhere as good as he thought they might.

"We'll see." She remarked as they reached her car. "I have to move here first remember?"

"Where was it that you said you were from?" Stefan asked as she opened the car door. Caroline smiled, turning back toward him.

"I didn't." She replied coyly and got into her car.

Stefan smiled to himself as he watched her car pull away. Today had proved to be a good day after all.