The next morning Elena got Stephanie ready for school, noticing that Paul still hadn't come home since last night. What an ass, trying to blackmail her. Ironic. He's the cheater.

Though everything is so complicated, she plastered a smile on her face as she dropped Stephanie off at her private school. She still had her seventh birthday pin on her backpack. She watched her walk through the front doors, her dirty blond hair swayed down her back, shimmering gold in the sunlight.

She thought about the piece of paper at the bottom of her bag, but briskly pushed the idea to the back of her head.


Stefan couldn't sleep at all last night. He was up all night thinking about his run in with Elena. The way she was acting at first, it felt like it did before everything went wrong. Then as soon as I started asking questions she started to stray away and quickly left me behind. Leaving him with a mind filled with unanswered questions. Unanswered feelings and emotions.

He knew that he loved her. With all of his being, but she has a family now. With a man she loves. One that she married. He sighed as he dragged his hands over his face groaning.


Elena strolled into Caroline's house, "Care?" she called out as she shut the door.

"In here!" She yelled from the deck. Elena walked to the fridge grabbing a bottled water and walked onto the deck. Caroline was sewing. Outside. She sighed. Typical Caroline.

"Hey," she turned to see Elena's tear stained face,"Oh my god, whats wrong?" she scrambled from her stool and took Elena's face into her hands. Her clear blue eyes wide.

Elena shook her head, "I saw him yesterday,"she sniffed, trying to push back the sobs that are sure to come.

Caroline's eyes widened, "Stefan?" she whispered searching Elena's face for more detail.

Elena nodded and sighed, "Yeah, and totally out of the blue. Like I never thought he would be in Atlanta, ever. And yet there he was strolling through downtown the same time I happen to be."

Elena pressed her fingers into her temples. She laughed, "You know he's a doctor now," Elena looked up to Caroline.

Elena squinted, Caroline didn't looked shocked. Elena scrunched up her forehead, and swallowed hard. "You knew he lives here?" She cried, " That he works at the hospital I go to?" The last part got out in a whisper. She was still ashamed. Her past isn't something she's proud of.

Caroline hastily shook her head, "No," she fumbled exasperated, "Yes...well we sort of stayed in touch... after you... ran away."

She looked down, avoiding Elena's glare. She looked up frustrated, "Oh my gosh Elena, us three used to be best friends okay? And after the wedding didn't work out," she looked up into Elena's eyes, "he needed me."

Elena took in a sharp breathe, feeling the sobs in her chest coming on. Caroline brought Elena into a hug, "He was so heart broken Elena, and we had no idea where you ran off to..." she trailed off into her hair.

Caroline pulled away and glanced down at Elena's baby bump, "Hey don't stress out, it's not good for the baby." She watched a smile grew on Elena's face. That hit the spot.

She sniffed, "I called you, you know." She raised her eyebrows at Caroline, "So you did know where I was," she pursed her lips.

"Uh yeah, two months later!" Caroline let out a flustered breath. "And to tell me you were three months months pregnant." She rolled her eyes at Elena. "You should have called him, Elena. And not write him a 'hey i'm sorry i left you at the alter even though i still love you' letter. And you totally failed to mention a vital detail," she groaned as she shook her head at Elena.

Elena moaned, Caroline was right. But she had no choice but to keep the baby from him. He would be mad, and so disappointed in her if he found out the truth.

Caroline bit her lip as she caught a glint of guilt and worry washing over Elena's face. She sighed moving towards Elena to brush away the hair covering her face, "Whatever Elena, that was eight years ago, so don't guilt over it now."

She grabbed her hand and sat her down on a patio chair, "Now you should tell me how things went yesterday." She smiled expectantly, moving her eyebrows up and down quickly.

Elena couldn't help but giggle, she loved Caroline. So much.

She exhaled a ragged breath, "Okay well he was totally shocked, probably more than me. I don't even think thats possible but he looked so happy to see me," she shook her head, "After everything, he was still able to put on a smile."

Caroline smiled wide, "Well of course! You were the love of his life," she laughed, then stopped as Elena started to fumble with her ring. The one Stefan proposed with. She never took it off.

Caroline moved closer to Elena,"and I bet after everything, you still are Elena." Caroline squeezed Elena's hand, making her look up.

Her face was broken, "Oh Care," she shut her eyes shaking her head, "I really messed up. Really bad." She looked hopelessly up at Caroline. "There is no way he can love me again. She gave Elena a glare, "Oh my gosh Elena, yesterday. Tell me about yesterday," she pleaded.

Elena groaned,"Alright, so I see him on the street right and I am completely overwhelmed so I call out his name," she inhaled and continued, " I was on my way to the doctors, for the baby and I totally forgot about that when I saw him. She closed her eyes, "It felt like," she whispered, "we were the only two people in the world," she bit her lip, " just me and Stefan."

She shut her eyes tighter trying to remember the moment she wanted to savor. When she opened her eyes, Caroline was crying.

Tears silently trickled down her cheeks as she listened. "Oh Elena,"she sniffed as she pulled her into a hug.

After Caroline made Elena some oatmeal, the only thing that calms her down, especially since it's her number one craving since she got pregnant.

Elena said her goodbyes for now, since Caroline said she would come over and spend the night. She still hates Paul but she hasn't seen Stephanie in two weeks. She loves her more than anything. Figures, it's so Caroline. Stefan is one of her closest friends.


Stefan paced in his office it has been a week since he had run into Elena, and she still hasn't called. Well she probably thought it was crazy to meet up with him. She was the one who didn't want to be with him...

He quickly had an idea.

"Hey this is Caroline! You know what to do!" He groaned as he got her voicemail again.

He decided to leave a message, "Hey Care, I was wondering if you wanted to grab some lunch. Haven't seen you in a couple of weeks, call me when you can. Love you." He ended the call and fell into his chair, it felt like high school all over again.


Elena bent her legs, breath in. Breath out. She let out a long breathe.

"Aw crap!" Caroline groaned. Elena quickly opened her eyes and the room full of pregnant women looked back at Caroline.

"Sorry," she whispered, she scrunched up her nose, "think I pulled a muscle, no big deal." She gave them all a tight smile as they turned to the front of the class and she rolled her eyes.

"Elena!" She whispered agitated, "Can we please go now? This is worst than last weeks labor patrol class!"

Elena laughed covering her mouth as to not disrupt the class. Like Caroline's constant missed calls, from someone she refused to share who.

"Alright, alright. Lets bail." She got up and waited for Caroline to roll up their yoga mats.

Caroline shook her head at the other women in the glass sticking her tongue at them before realizing there is a mirror they watched her from. She froze and quickly ran out the class with Elena giggling behind her.


So? Don't you just love Caroline? I had a lot of fun writing her :) And you see that Caroline is still besties with Stefan and Elena

And Stephanie, looking more and more like someone we all love...Paul? I don't think so ;)

Oh also you guys will get a flashback in the next chapter! so get excited!