My eyes fluttered opened and I sat up in my dusty, hotel bed. Blinking a few times, the previous night came flooding back to me and my cheeks burned and my stomach flipped with the memory. I groaned into my pillow, all of the confusion returning to my mind. Tossing the dirty pillow to the side, I stood and slipped on my robe. I quietly made my way to the ice machine, hoping to avoid both Stefan and Elena. However, I rounded the corner and ran smack into Elena, making her drop her own ice bucket. She looked as tousled as I probably did. She stood on her long, thin legs wearing a pair of men's, probably Damon's, boxers and a black tank. She stared daggers into me.

"Sorry," I chuckled, before I remembered that we were no longer friends.

She ignored me and turned around to refill her bucket. I rolled my eyes. Who was this creature?

"So, it sounded like you guys had an interesting night," Elena said, looking over her shoulder at me as she scooped ice into her bucket.

I blushed deep crimson. I knew she had probably heard everything, but I hadn't expected her to come right out and say something about it. My stomach churned as I realized that she also heard what I had said about her. Knew that I was jealous of her. And I didn't want her having that on me.

"Eavesdrop much?" I snapped, holding my robe closed tighter. Suddenly feeling very exposed.

Elena gave me a mirthless grin. She looked so much like Katherine that an involuntary shiver ran through me at the sight of her.

She moved aside so I stomped to the ice machine and filled up my own bucket, shoving the scoop down into the ice angrily. I felt Elena lingering behind me.

"You're going to end up hurt, you know," Elena said then.

I whipped around to face her.

"Excuse me?" I asked, eyes narrowed.

"This...," she motioned between myself and Stefan's closed room door, "Is not going to happen."

Her echoing of some of Stefan's earliest and most hurtful words to me caused tears to sting my eyes and a fiery rage to begin in my heart.

"You don't know what the hell you're talking about, Elena," I said, maintaining a calm exterior when I was actually about to combust.

"Oh yeah," she said, taking a step closer to me, using her two inches of height advantage to look down at me condescendingly, "I know him better than he knows himself. He's just using you to get over me. He probably doesn't even realize he's doing it. But that's what he's doing. And I think you probably know that too. You're just too sad and lonely to admit it."

I was shaking with rage. The ice bucket was slipping from my hands. My fangs were tickling my gums. I was about to straight up attack her.

That's when Stefan's room door opened and he came shuffling out, with messy bedhead and flannel sleep pants and no shirt. Elena and I turned to look at him. And somehow, the adorable sight of him that would have made me swoon before, now made me irrationally angry. She had claimed him for herself. Even though she didn't want him. And he was letting her. She looked back at me, her back to Stefan, and smirked again. I dropped the ice bucket at my feet and walked wordlessly past both of them to my room.

"Good morni-" Stefan began, reaching for my hand as I walked past him. He turned around to give me a confused look as I ignored him and fumbled with my door knob. He turned his questioning look to Elena, who just shrugged and smirked.

I got into my room, turned up the TV and began to cry furious tears. Stefan was outside my door, asking calmly to be let in. I ignored him. Something snapped in me. The realization that here I was, crying over Stefan because of Elena. It was the bonfire in Mystic Falls all over again. I threw on some clothes and began tearing open drawers and shoving my clothes back into my bags. This was torture. And I still didn't believe that Elena had any idea how to get Bonnie back. If I thought there was a chance, I would stay and help. Out of loyalty to Bonnie. Because she'd do the same for me. But I didn't believe there was a chance, I just didn't.

Zipping up my bag with so much force that I thought I broke it, I tossed it over my shoulder and turned to storm out of my room. Stefan was still standing in the doorway when I opened the door.

"Hey...whoa, what are you doing?" he asked in an obvious panic, his eyes taking in my bags.

"I'm leaving, Stefan," I snapped, "What does it look like?"

"Okay...why are you leaving?" he asked, gently grasping my arm as I tried to walk past him, "Hey, wait, wait a minute."

"Isn't it obvious?" I raged, dropping my bags so I would have my hands to wave around in anger.

"Not really, no," he said, calmly. I wanted to attack him too now.

"This is pointless, Stefan. It's useless. It's hopeless. And now," I felt my voice beginning to break and tried to steel it, "It's also a major blow to my mental health and happiness!" I motioned toward Elena's room.

Stefan nodded in understanding.

"I know, she's not herself..." he began.

"Stop defending her!" I screamed, "She's more herself than you know, Stefan. Do you know that she thinks she owns you? That you'll never get over her? That you're...using ME to try to get over her..." I swallowed hard, fighting tears, my voice having softened on that last sentence.

Stefan lowered his eyes, embarrassed and upset.

"That's not true, Caroline," he said.

"Prove it," the words left my mouth before I could stop them.

"How?" he asked, sincerely.

"I'm leaving. Come with me," I laid out the ultimatum.

He hesitated.

"But what about Bonnie? And Damon?" Stefan asked, helplessly.

"If you honestly believe that Elena has any idea how to get them back, or that she even actually KNOWS of anybody who has idea how to get them home...well, then I'll have to believe that what she said about is true. Because ONLY someone in love with her could possibly fool themselves into believing her." I waited for just a moment, then gathered my bags up and turned to leave, hiding the tears in my eyes.

I tried not to notice that I didn't hear Stefan's footsteps behind me. I didn't break until I was out of sight, but then I let furious tears cascade freely down my cheeks. I had no idea where I was even going. But I had to get away from there. It was toxic to me. No matter what had grown between me and Stefan, nothing was worth feeling like I was second to Elena all over again.

I walked until I was too hungry to walk anymore. Then I sat down next to the road and I cried some more. My shoes were wet and dirty and I was starving and heartbroken. A man stopped to see if I needed help. I compelled and then fed from him. I felt horrible when he was trying to help, but I was too hungry to think. He should be glad that I sent him away alive.

A few days of walking and crying later and I had given up and compelled myself into a decent hotel. It was so much worse here. I had time to think. And I didn't want to be thinking. I wanted to call my mom, but I didn't want to have to tell her what had happened. And I didn't want to have to lie to her either. I wished that Bonnie were here. After a hot shower, I curled up and fell asleep on the fluffy comforter. I tried not to think about how it felt to be so briefly wrapped happily in Stefan's arms.

A few days after that and I was back on the road. This time with a rental car. I called my mom and met her at the Mystic Falls border. I lied and told her that Stefan was just at the store picking up a few supplies for our next road trip. She filled me on the latest goings on of Mystic Falls. Apparently Jeremy was now sleeping with everyone in town, Tyler was dating someone and Matt was working with some kind of vampire slayer. She warned me that it was best to stay away from Mystic Falls altogether. My heart ached knowing that I had to go but had nowhere TO go. I wanted to ask my mom to come with me, but I didn't want to disrupt her life. So I set out on my own.

When I drove by the crappy hotel where Elena was staying, Stefan's car was gone. I wondered where, but I just kept driving. I was nearly out of Virginia when someone standing in the road startled the hell out of me. It took me a second looking through the dark to recognize that it was Stefan. I slammed on my breaks. He didn't come near me. I jumped out of the car.

"What the hell are you doing?!" I screeched.

"Trying like hell to find you!" he screamed back.

"Oh yeah, well you could have followed me when I gave you the chance and then you would have known where I was," I said back, turning to get back in the car, suddenly remembering vividly how much he had hurt me when he chose to stay with Elena.

"I wasn't staying for Elena," he explained, reading my mind, "I was staying for my brother. And for Bonnie. I really wanted to believe that there was a chance to get them back."

I crossed my arms and raised an eyebrow at him, "And was there?"

He hung his head.

"No, you were right. There never was. Elena's contacts were a flop. She's unhinged. And the way she treated you..." he began.

I shook my head, not wanting to hear his excuses now. Too little, too late.

"I'm sorry, Caroline. I'm sorry that I didn't stand up for you. Or believe you," he apologized. And just hearing it made me furious all over again.

"You're sorry?!" I yelled, "Do you know how it felt to have you choose Elena over me AGAIN? To be all alone while you were with her?!"

"It wasn't for her!" he yelled back, stalking toward me.

"I don't believe you, Stefan," I said, my voice cracking.

"How can I prove it to you?" he pleaded. His hand extending toward my cheek, but I turned away and it fell back to his side.

"I gave you a chance to prove it," I said, calm now, "You made your choice. After the time we spent together. After what we were beginning to...mean to each other and you ruined it. You fucking ruined it all, Stefan!"

He hung his head and put his hands in his pockets. He had nothing to say to that.

I nodded as I realized we were done. Got in my car and watched as he moved aside and let me drive away.

Sorry it took me 75 years to update this! This is a transitional chapter. Sorry it's such a bummer! Thanks for reading!