[Rating: M] [Stefan/Caroline/Anna] [Significant Canon Divergence] [Major Character Deaths]

"So, let me get this straight…? You went on a date with my boyfriend, and now you're here to complain to me about how another girl showed up out of nowhere and stole him from you?!"

"No!" This conversation didn't exactly start off on the right foot. She figured she had to get back to school sooner or later and that she's better grab the bull by the horns immediately. "That's not what happened!" Although actually, it kinda is…

"Well, please fill me in then, dear friend…" Caroline has never seen Elena look so angry. Or ugly.

"Okay, me and Stefan went on… went to the Grill to discuss some important stuff. Damon stuff." She grimaces. "Then while we were on our way to my home this girl who claimed to know him showed up and… spirited him away. No matter what, we are supposed to be friends, and I really thought you deserved to know." Caroline frowns.

"Oh come on, Caroline, you're not fooling anyone." Elena is almost screaming now and with all the people in the cafeteria it looks like the slut-shaming brigade is out in full force. "Do you really think I believe it's a coincidence how you've missed the exact same days as him lately? We all know what's going on inside that pretty little head. First Matt… Now Stefan?! Never able to keep your mitts off my boyfriends, huh? Well, let me tell you this… If you screw things up between us, I'll never talk to you again."

Caroline's starting to see red. "As if I didn't see you fawning over Damon ever since you met him", she says, silently, dangerously.

"Well, at least I didn't jump in bed with him on the first date! You know, that might've saved yourself some trouble!"

It's enough. She storms out of the school, the tears burning and flowing down her cheeks.


Caroline is a mess.

Her boyfriend was a psychopathic monster who got murdered by his brother. The brother that she's in love with got shanghaied by a weird pre-teen pinup doll the age of a mummy. Her childhood friend, the girlfriend of the latter brother, threw a fit and slutshamed her in front of the entire school for getting raped by the first brother.

She's sitting on the couch eating cheetos - what a way to spend a Friday night… - and wishing she could wake up from this silly dream when she hears a faint rap on the door.

You've gotta be kidding me.

"What are you doing here?!"

"Came to check up on how you're doing. Can I come in?" Anna smiles at her, carrying a plastic bag in one hand and dangling her stupid red backpack in the other.

"You can't be serious."

"Please, Caroline. If I wanted you dead, don't you think you'd be dead right now? I just thought…" She suddenly looks almost shy, or at least a tiny bit insecure… "Well… Never mind."

Caroline frowns. "Fine, come in! Why are you here, anyway?"

Anna enters the hall, looking relieved. "I like you. Don't you like me?"

"Uhm… Not really."

"Good! That's why I like you. An honest question and an honest answer. Though… either you're really stupid for talking to me like that when you know I could rip your head off in half a second… and I don't think you're that stupid… or you actually know I'm not your enemy, so you can afford feeling comfortable around me. Both are good!"

"You're not my enemy? Do I look comfortable?! You stole my date!"

"No, in fact, I didn't." Anna sighs. "I kindly asked if I could join you, but you ran away. But it doesn't matter… Enemy or not? What would you prefer, an enemy telling you the truth, or friends whispering behind your back? I understand you have plenty of the latter." She looks up at her, her eyes suddenly piercing and betraying just a hint of her real age.

"… And just what the hell do you know about that?!" Caroline is starting to get really furious.

"I heard from Stefan. Things kinda blew up in school today, huh? It sounded awful. From what I understand, he's on his way to Elena's to tell her to, and I quote, back the fuck off. He was really angry. I figured you could use a listening ear, or a distraction."

Caroline suddenly deflates, walking back into the living room and cuddling up on the couch. "Fine. Stay, if you want. Though I don't know what good it will do."

Anna tentatively makes her way to the opposite side of the couch, sitting down. "So, what will it be, the truth or the lies?" She winks.

For some reason, Caroline can't help giving her a pained smile. "I guess I'll have the red pill."

"Fine. Then I'll tell it like it is again. I won't lie and say I'm not sleeping with the boy you're in love with, but I promise I'm not standing in your way. I want to be your friend. I don't have many, and I make fewer every year… It must be my winning personality." She smirks apologetically.

"You know, you're getting less endearing by the minute."

"I know! That's why I brought tequila." Anna beams at her.

Caroline shakes her head, defeated. "Fine. The cheap glassware is in the top left cupboard."

"Just for you… I'll climb."


"This SUCKS!" Caroline buries her head in her hands. "How did you convince me to watch this?"

"Come on." Anna chuckles. "Night of the Living Dead is fun! Oh, whatever… wanna do something else?" She sneaks up to her on the couch, gently nibbling her earlobe. "Changing the content rating, maybe?"

"You're insane!" Caroline giggles, and the worst part is the thought has actually crossed her mind. But no, no, no making out with her crazy sexual-anarchist girl buddy!

"Oh, come on… Do you have any idea how many tricks a girl can pick up about pleasing another girl in 500 years?"

"Anna!" Okay, and now she's really blushing.

"Just sayin'." She shoots her a bright smile and downs another shot of tequila. "By the way, that film… why is it in your library anyway, if you haven't even seen it?"

"It's not mine. It's Matt's."

"Matt? Brother?"

"Ex-boyfriend", Caroline sighs.

"Ex, huh? Is he cute?"

Caroline stares at her, eyes the size of footballs. "Cute? NO YOU WILL NOT!" Anna giggles and sticks out her tongue at her. "Just kidding."

"He's alright. He's… pedestrian."

"… compared to Stefan?" Anna winks.

Caroline falls silent for a moment. "Actually, I was thinking compared to you."


"Are you sure this is a good idea?"

"Of course I'm sure. We're out of booze." Anna opens the door to the giant boarding house. "Besides, I live here."

"You WHAT?"

"Yeah, I needed a place to stay, and the place is huge, so Stefan offered. I have some business to take care of that I can't tell you about, at least not yet. I promise, not everything I do is about sex."

"Oh, yeah? What do you pay for rent?"

"Okay, you've got a point." She moves into the living room, lighting up the giant crown lamp in the ceiling and making her way to the drinking cabinet. "Zach is still in Kentucky… He won't be back for another two days. I guess Stefan isn't done with all the drama yet, but unless he's really pissed off afterwards, he'll probably head home, and I know you'd like to see him."

"Humph."

"I think we can help ourselves to the bourbon… Damon's leftovers. It's good stuff, but Stefan prefers the Scotch."

"As long as you find some Coke." Caroline smiles and lays down in the great leather sofa in the middle of the room, Anna whiffing back and forth into the room in an instant, carrying glasses, a pitcher, some oranges and a bottle of Bitter Lemon, one at a time.

"What is it about these people? No Coke?" Caroline pouts.

"I don't know." Anna smiles. "I prefer living in the present, despite my advanced age… but I've noticed Stefan often reverts into the moods of earlier times. He seems more comfortable that way. You know he's still got a manual typewriter for official letters?"

"How long have you know each other?" Caroline asks, abruptly.

"I've known him since he was thirteen. I knew him until he was turned, and shortly after, we were separated… I met him a couple of times over the years, but mostly he was so broken it was no use trying to make sense of him. Not that I didn't try… and not that I didn't take advantage of his confused state, at least once. Not my proudest memory." She looks down at her shoes. "Not that he would ever blame me. He's never had room in his head to blame anyone but himself."

"Do you love him?"

"Love?" Anna chuckles. "That depends, doesn't it? I really… like him. He's an excellent conversationalist, he's great in bed, and when he hasn't got that cloud hanging over his head he can be extremely funny… but love? When you're as old as I am, the meaning of the word becomes muddled."

Caroline looks at her, trying to, somehow, make sense of this woman… yes,woman… in front of her, but falling short with every attempt. She's so beautiful. Her skin like a porcelain doll, her traits exquisitely thin and sculptured. She can't even make out her heritage. She looks vaguely Chinese but there are so many features of her face that are decidedly unfamiliar.

Maybe people didn't look the same back when she was born.

"Were… Were you short for your age?"

"What?!" Anna laughs, but it's clear it is a sore spot. "What do you mean? Don't you think I'm short enough now?"

"I'm sorry… I mean, when you were turned?" She blushes, feeling a bit ashamed.

"Yeah… Yeah, I was, but not like now. You've all grown taller."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. The alternative would be to be dead."

Caroline covertly keeps staring at her, unable to stop admiring her presence, while Anna pours herself another drink, gulps it down, immediately pouring herself another, her impish smile returning to her eyes.

Then she stares right back at her.

Her eyes are hypnotizing as she draws herself ever closer to the blonde girl, but the bubbly, playful look never quite leaves her face, her hand smoothly landing on her upper thigh, fingers sliding under her skirt, and Caroline's breathing just stops.

*Whisp*

"Look what I found!" Caroline's white panties are dangling from her left little finger.

The blonde looks at her increduously.

"Oh, but that's not all. Look here." She pulls up Caroline's skirt slightly, making her blush even more fiercely. Impossibly, her white lace stockings are still attached to her garter belt.

"Hey, give them back!" She screams, torn between fury and amusement, reaching for her underwear.

*Whisp*

"Have mine." Anna chuckles, throwing her own black ones in her face.

She doesn't know what it is - if it's the booze or the general absurdity of the situation - but suddenly she starts laughing, throwing herself over the midget vampire girl, tickling her while Anna is tittering uncontrollably in her ear, and suddenly they are way too close.

Their first kiss is so tentative and shy as to be almost non-existent, and puzzlingly enough, Caroline finds herself initiating it. Anna pulls a lock from her hair, wrapping it around her finger, softly purring into her mouth.

Then, cautiously, one thing at a time, Caroline feels her unbuttoning her shirt, quickly unhatching her bra, slowly pulling down her skirt, teasingly stroking her bare thighs against her core, and she feels her breath stick in her mouth, andwhat the hell is going on…

The lights in the hall come on.

"Uh, hi, girls."

Oh damn…