Hey. :D So, this is me speaking again. I thank you all once again for all the positive feedback. About the next story, it will be a Daroline friendship only story, because I've had this idea a long while back already. I'll post it soon. For now, enjoy the following chapter. Congratulations to Damonlover86, yeah, it is that scene. ^^

Disclaimer: Plec and Williamson own them, I worry about them. Why do you need to hear me say it?

~VD~

"You make me crazy, you know that?" His voice whispered into her ear, she was almost crying. She was breathing heavily. She was scared. She closed her eyes, and hoped for it to be over. "It's ok." His voice soothed her, sounding dangerous all the way through. "I forgive you." He pecked her on the cheek slightly. His hand was on her neck. She tried again: "I swear, I didn't say-", shaking her head, sobbing a little. He shushed her, wrapping his arms around her. She put her hand on his arm. From a distance, they would have looked like a couple. She sighed. He kissed her neck, assuring her that it was okay, once more. He began kissing her shoulder blade, pushing her hair back. "Unfortunately…" She put her head back a little. "I am so…over you now." Everything after that happened too fast. His face changed, he sunk his fangs in her, and she gasped. She refused to make a sound though. All she could feel was the small tear running down her face.

It all came rushing back to Caroline now. The Pain, the damage, the uncertainty. Damon wrapped his arms around her just like he did then. She finally found her ability to move again. She turned around to face Damon, fear in her eyes. Then she ran out of the restaurant. She wrapped her arms around herself, shuddering, crying. "What the hell was that about?" Damon's voice sounded from behind her. She didn't want to turn around. She kept walking. He was in front of her in a flash. "What's wrong?" He asked again, this time more softer. He put his hand on her arm, but she shrugged it off. "Don't."

"Why not?"

"I don't want you around me, pretending you care. " She spat out, her words full of disdain.

Damon cocked his head. "What are you talking about?" She stumbled backwards, not wanting to be close to Damon. "What was that, just now? The holding, the whispering, the kissing my neck?" She nearly screamed. She was a wreck. He didn't know what to reply to that. "Depends, what do you think it was?" Caroline opened her mouth to say something, but at that moment, her phone rang. She looked at Damon for a second, and then she turned around. Damon knew exactly what she meant. He groaned when he heard the voice on the other end of the phone.

"Stefan. What makes you call?" She said dryly.

"Elena. She chose." Damon raised his eyebrows.

"Did she now?" Caroline feigned empathy. She didn't give a crap.

"She chose Damon, Caroline. How am I supposed to live with that?"

"I can't really answer that…"She replied hesitantly, looking at Damon. He felt horrible. He didn't even want Elena, and yet he stole her from his brother. Maybe he was a monster.

"Caroline, where are you? I need you!" Damon's eyes flew wide. Stefan needed Caroline? What was that all about? He looked at Caroline irritated.

"Stefan, I'm in Maryland."

"What are you doing there?"

"Having a road trip…with Damon." Damon hated the fact that she hesitated to say his name. He signaled for her to stop the call.

"With Damon? That's where he went?"

"Yep. Stefan I have to go though. We are still on for this Sunday, right?" She smiled. Damon frowned.

"Sure. Wouldn't miss that for anything." He chuckled.

"Bye then." She hung up. The second she put the phone into her pants, she was pushed against a tree. Damon was eyeing her curiously.

"What the hell, Caroline?"

"What?"

"Since when have you been going out with Stefan?" He asked, angriness coloring his voice.

"Of course, that's the part of the conversation you'd pick up." She shook her head in disbelief.

"Well…?" Damon persisted.

"It's a 'best friends' night, Damon. Didn't you hear the part where he whined about Elena? Sheesh, like I'd go out with some guy who loves Elena." Although she was talking about Stefan, Damon felt slapped. That's why she was resisting him. Elena. And now he had involved the doppelganger even more. He felt so stupid.

"Oh…" He mumbled.

"Let's just go." She said, brushing past him. Damon stared after her a long while before speeding after her.

She slept the entire ride. Damon drove the entire time, not bothering to make a single stop. He was growing hungrier and hungrier. He would have to feed soon, so would Caroline. He sighed, and focused on the road ahead. Caroline stirred. "Where are we?" "Delaware. We need to feed." Caroline was silent the entire time. She drank her guy silently, compelled him silently, and went back into the car silently. Damon was getting frustrated. He missed talking to her; he missed their banter over nothing. He missed their stupid road game. He missed everything about the way they were before. Why did he always screw things up?

He was sitting next to her in the car. He made no effort to start the car. She looked at him, expecting him to say something. Anything, really. Why wasn't he saying anything? Caroline cocked her head. "Damon? Are you going to start driving anytime soon?" She raised her eyebrows. He ignored her question and stared at her instead. "Why can't you believe that I have genuinely changed into a better person?" "Who says I don't?" She shot back. He scoffed. "Nobody, but the way you're acting certainly seems so. It's completely un-Blondie like."

"Really? You're going to give me crap for acting out of character?" She deadpanned. "Fantastic change of subject, really. What's that supposed to mean?" "It means, Elena made a choice. She let go of Stefan, and chose you. You have the chance to be with Elena. And yet, you're still here. With me. Driving towards New York, when what we should be doing is returning home to mystic Falls before our Lady-of-questionable-judgment changes her mind." Caroline vented. Damon laughed. Caroline glared at him. "Why is that funny?"

"Did it ever occur to you that I'm not in a rush to get home?" He asked. It was true; he wanted to spend more time with Caroline before this thing with Elena would screw everything up.

"And why is that? Afraid to face Stefan?" She asked right back.

"No. Afraid of losing something I don't even have yet." He replied sadly. He was thinking about Caroline, but she being Caroline, took it wrong.

"Meaning you're afraid your relationship with Elena won't work out?" She asked sympathetically. He shook his head. Honesty is the best policy. Damon had no policies. He had decided he didn't want Elena a long time ago, yet he was pretending in front of Caroline. To make her jealous. Only- it wasn't affecting her at all. It didn't seem to have the slightest effect on her. It didn't bother her at all. Did she have no feelings for him at all? He certainly had felt something between them when they kissed. He needed to lay his cards on the table.

"Damon?" Caroline snapped him out of his inner monologue.

"Yes. That's it." He evaded confrontation again.

"We're a good five hours from New York. We still have 3 days until the ball. What are we going to do?"

"My, My, Caroline. That means you only have 3 days to find me a 'friend'."

"Damon, that's stupid."

"Why?"

"Because you're Elena's boyfriend."

"Not yet."

"So you want to screw it up?"

"She doesn't need to know." He wiggled his eyebrows.

"I really hope you have good insurance." Caroline sighed.

"What?"

"Bonnie will haunt you forever if you hurt Elena."

"And you won't?"

"It will be my fault that she's hurting, too."

"So why are you doing this?" he asked curiously.

"I'm not doing anything." She said.

"You do know the terms of the bet, right?" he called to her memory. Her getting Damon Salvatore off. Yeah, she remembered. She didn't want to imagine it, but at the same time, how could she possibly not? It was Damon. This trip had brought to her attention how good an actress she was. Pretending she wasn't attracted to Damon, pretending to not want to rip Elena's head off for making a choice at the worst of times, not being fazed by Damon's admission of love for Elena, and so much more. It hurt more than she let on. After all this time, all Damon cared about was Elena. It would never be her. Wait; did she even want it to be her? After seeing the way Damon was so prepared to cheat on Elena, the one woman he loved, she was pretty damn sure she didn't. Oh who was she kidding? Of course she wanted him. Curse the Salvatore. He was going to pay for this. She was different now. She knew things about her body. She smiled inwardly, thinking up her plan.

"Of course I remember." She nodded.

"You hate me for making that bet, don't you?"

"I don't hate you, Damon. I said that before. I just wish you could have picked something not so…conflicting." She stated.

"Well, if you find me a friend you won't have to." He wiggled his eyebrows.

"I'm going to sleep." She rolled her eyes.

"You do that, just don't bite my seat the next time 'dream-guy' gets you off." He winked. She slapped him jokingly.

"That was a joke when I told you."

"Was it?" He asked, raising his eyebrows seductively. She swallowed at the very lively memory of her dream.

"Did you make me have that dream?"

"I could never." He gasped. She made her 'Bitch please' face again.

"You're capable of anything." She said.

"Aww, such inspirational words."

"They aren't supposed to be."

"Don't ruin this moment, Blondie." He smiled.

"Oh right, cause that's your job." She quipped.

Damon had missed this. Their banter. He smiled genuinely. "Maybe it is. Now sleep."

"Yes, Master." She used a pretentious, hypnotized tone. Then she gave him a peck on the cheek and said: "Wake me up just before we get to New York. I want to be awake for that." Then she closed her eyes and drifted off.

Damon's skin was burning from the kiss. He touched his cheek, unconsciously. Had Barbie really shown a sign of affection right there? Was he dreaming? He didn't know yet, but things certainly seemed to be looking up for him. He looked down at the blonde next to him and smiled. Screw Elena. What he could have with Caroline was so much better than anything she could ever offer. After spending a few days with Caroline, he realized what they had been was not all they could have been.

~VD~

Huhu, new chapter is out. Just so you know, the ball will be happening either next chapter, or next next. Cu then. :D