warning(s): violence, coarse language
chapter rating: pg-13/teen
word count: 7,660
-8-
Caroline and Eddy walked down each aisle of the grocery store Fto be sure that she got everything she needed for their dinner. As well as a few other things for home, like the king-sized bag of peanut butter cups that Sarah would love or the fresh croissants that were made in house that Gail always raved about. Currently, they were half-way down the baking ingredients aisle, eyeing a bag of flour.
"You really don't think you have any at home? I'm not going to get there and find like, three bags in different stages of empty?"
Eddy snorted. "We don't really bake anything. Mom used to, like, forever ago. She'd make fresh bread sometimes. But she's too busy now, with work." She shrugged. "Anyway, there's a whole aisle of noodles just over there. Why do you have to make 'em yourself?"
"Because. The noodles are essential, and when you make them yourself, you show how much care you're putting into your food. My mother used to say that if you want something to taste good, you have to season it with your hard work. Besides, I love cooking. It's a great stress reliever." She grinned. "And when you're finished, it comes out looking so amazing you don't even have to think about how much cheese you just put on it to make it a hundred times less healthy."
Eddy's eyes lit up. "Cheese next!" she decided.
Rolling her eyes fondly, Caroline bent to pick up a bag of flour and add it to the cart. Hopping onto the end, Eddy waited for Caroline to start pushing it once more. They'd just exited the mouth of the aisle when they nearly collided with someone.
"Oh! Sorry, I wasn't looking where I was… Caroline."
Looking over, Caroline's brows hiked. "Elena… hey…"
"Hi." Her eyes darted to the end of the cart and a half-smile upturned her mouth. "Hey Eddy, haven't seen you in a while…"
Eddy nodded before directing her gaze to the inside of the cart and fiddling with a few things.
"Um, probably not the best time, but, could we talk really quick?" Elena asked Caroline.
"Oh, uh, yeah, sure." She smiled awkwardly. "Eddy, why don't you head over to the cheese? I'll meet you there in a minute, okay?"
Hopping off the end, Eddy hooked her fingers through the cart and towed it behind her. "No cat fights or I'll have to arrest both of you," she called out before she left.
Folding her hands together, Caroline turned her attention back to Elena. Her heart jumped a little; it was still so strange to look at her and remind herself it wasn't Katherine. "I thought you'd still be at cheerleading practice…"
"I would be, usually, but I decided it just wasn't for me. Not right now." Elena shrugged. "I thought I could get back into my old routine, but it looks like that was just wishful thinking."
"Well, it was only one practice, maybe you just need more time to—"
"Can I ask you something?" she interrupted.
Caroline blinked, and stared at her a moment. She had a feeling what the question would be, but she sighed. "Okay."
"You and Stefan…" She trailed off a moment and then rocked back on her heel. "It's just… We talked, right? At the bonfire. And I told you what was going on and how I felt and what I was going to do and you seemed really supportive. Except, now you're going to his football practice and you're here with his little sister and I… I guess I'm confused."
Gaze falling for a moment, Caroline gathered her thoughts. "The night of the bonfire, Stefan asked me out, and I turned him down because things between you two seemed really unfinished and I just didn't want to get in the middle of that drama."
Elena's brow furrowed. "Okay…"
"The next day, he came to see me in class and he told me that, on his part, things are done and he wanted me to give him a chance to prove that. And I know what you said, I know how you feel, and I know, to you, this probably seems like a huge betrayal, but… I like Stefan. I really do. And he likes me. And I don't know how long that'll last or where it's going, but… I want to find out." She smiled faintly. "I'm sorry if that hurts you, because that's not at all what I was trying to do. But, to be honest, itreally doesn't have anything to do with you. Whatever issues you have with Stefan, you should talk to him about them, not me."
"Wow. Uh… I don't know what to say." Elena shifted her feet and shook her head. "But, you know, I think Bonnie was wrong, about us being friends. I don't think that's going to work out so much."
Caroline nodded. "If that's how you feel." She motioned a thumb over her shoulder. "I should get back to Eddy. She's probably loading up the cart with every cheese in sight." She took a few steps back and turned on her heel, but didn't get far before Elena called after her.
"It's temporary, you know? Stefan, he… He's always been in love with me, for as long as I can remember. This thing, with Matt, it was a mistake, and I regret that. But Stefan will forgive me, he always does."
Caroline looked back at her, frowning.
Elena shook her head. "I don't expect you to understand it, but… I know Stefan. He's just like me. We— We're soul mates, I know we are. So…" She lifted her chin then, and Caroline saw a whisper of Katherine Pierce in the superior tilt of her head. "Enjoy it, for as long as you can."
A muscle ticked in Caroline's cheek before she forced a grin. "I will."
She turned quickly then, chewing on the inside of her lip as she felt her fangs lengthen and the veins beneath her eyes pulsed. Taking deep breaths in through her nose, she curled her hands into fists and searched out her calm. It wasn't until she was nearly to Eddy that she felt the obvious signs of her anger ebb away and she looked, for all purposes, perfectly human.
"Hey, I wasn't sure which cheeses you needed, but I grabbed a bunch. Stefan uses at least four of these when he's making his special grilled cheese."
"Special?" Caroline cleared her throat when her voice came out a little strained.
"Yeah, grilled cheese is kind of the only thing he can make. Well, and soup, but that doesn't take much skill." Eddy shrugged, and then looked up, pausing as she caught sight of her. "Are you okay? You look upset. Did Elena do something?"
"No, no. Just…" She shook her head. "Boy drama, you know? Not exactly what I came shopping for."
Eddy snorted. "Does anybody?"
Smiling, Caroline stepped toward her and looked over the collection of cheeses. "These are the ones Stefan uses?"
"Yeah, you should get him to make you one someday."
"Maybe I will." Caroline took up the proffered cheeses and then searched out a few more before she was ready. "Okay… let's check out the produce. I need a few things. Also, keep your eyes open for strawberries. They're Lexi's favorite."
Eddy saluted her before hopping onto the end of the cart. "That way!" she said, pointing toward the produce section. "You know what else we should get?"
"Hm?"
"Dessert."
Caroline laughed under her breath. "Or… we could make dessert."
Eddy's eyes lit up. "Deal!"
…
"Well, if it isn't my favorite niece…" His voice seemed to echo through the den, though she was pretty sure that was just due to her surprise.
Sarah paused in walking back to the couch, where her homework lay sprawled on the coffee table, next to a bow of trail mix an open can of Coke. Her back straightened before she, very slowly, turned around. "Uncle Damon," she said quietly.
He smirked at her. "No need to look so scared… What is it Lexi calls you? Pipsqueak?"
She swallowed tightly, a lead weight building in her stomach.
He nodded, walking toward her. "When you were little, I called you something else. You remember... Sarah—"
"Bo-Bear-a. You called me Sarah Bo-Bear-a. You'd sing it." She stared at him searchingly. "Caroline said—"
"Caroline says a lot of things." He grinned. "She's a worrier. Always has been." He stopped just in front of her, gaze falling to the necklace she was wearing. "Vervain?"
Sarah nodded a little jerkily. "I drink it too."
Damon hummed. "That's funny, because vervain was wiped out a long time ago… It hasn't grown in Mystic Falls in a very long time." He reached up, brushing her loose hair back from her face and over her shoulder. "Do you want to tell Uncle Damon where you're getting yours?"
"No, she doesn't." Lexi walked into the room, hands on her hips, and frowned at him. "Don't you have small children or old ladies to be terrorizing?"
"Is that a suggestion?" Damon wondered, pivoting to see her.
Lexi rolled her eyes. "Leave Sarah alone. She's probably one of the few people who knows you that actually thinks there's still something good lurking underneath that emo get-up."
Pursing his lips at her, he cast his gaze back to Sarah. "I can't spend some time catching up with my niece? Family is important." He turned back to Lexi, smirking. "You should know, you're my sister too now. As if one unholy blonde terror wasn't enough."
Lexi grinned sharply. "I'm older, Damon, and any soft spot I had for you withered up and died a long time ago." She held a hand out. "Sarah?"
Hesitating just a moment, Sarah shifted to the side, out of Damon's reach and then hurried over to stand next to Lexi.
Frowning, Damon turned to look at them. "You really think I'd hurt her?"
"I think you like playing games, and when you don't have your humanity on, you think as long as you let them live, you're not doing anything we can't forgive. This is me telling you that if you harm one hair on Sarah's head, I will feed you your own heart." Her eyes narrowed to slits. "Have I made myself clear?"
"Crystal." His mouth turned up in a humorless grin, and then his gaze wandered to Sarah. "We'll catch up soon, Sarah Bo-bear-a." With a wink, he was gone, racing from the room faster than her human eyes could see.
Sarah let out a shaky breath, her heart pounding in her ears. "I froze. I—I didn't know what to do. Caroline told me to be careful, but… I don't know. It was like, I was scared, I knew I should be, but another part of me wasn't, because, I mean, he's Damon. I—"
"It's okay. Hey…" Lexi wrapped her in a hug. "Whatever he is, he's still your family, I get it."
Sarah hugged her back, resting her chin on Lexi's shoulder. "I just wish he'd turn it back on. The Damon I knew… He was better than this. I know he was."
Lexi rubbed her back. "I know."
Standing in the hallway, eavesdropping, Damon frowned to himself.
…
Stefan was tired, but it was a good feeling. He'd worked his ass off at practice and, while the coach probably wouldn't agree, he'd seen some improvement in the team since last year. He wasn't sure how far they would go, but they were getting better, and he was doing his part to add to that.
Having showered at the school, his hair was still dripping, and his clothes clung to his skin a little. He'd been eager to get home, and it'd shown. Matt and Tyler had razzed him about Caroline and their dinner date, but he didn't care. He was excited. For the first time in a very long time.
As soon as the door opened, he could hear laughter and the low chatter of talking coming from the kitchen. Duffel bag slung over his shoulder, he walked toward it, smiling as he caught sight of them. Eddy was standing on a foot stool, wearing a whole lot of flour on her pin-striped apron. Caroline looked pristine in comparison while she kneaded out some dough in front of her.
"Maybe next time, we can try making different noodles, like fusilli or conchiglie. Or we could make ravioli or cappelletti! Those were my mother's favorite."
"Cool!" Eddy grinned at her. "We could make all of them! Hey! We could have a big dinner, probably at your place, 'cause it's bigger, and we can invite everyone! It'll be like a pasta party!"
Laughing lightly, Caroline nodded. "Sure. And you can help me make everything, right?"
"Yup!"
"You guys look like you're having fun," Stefan said, stepping a little further into the room as he looked between them.
"Don't look in the fridge!" Eddy exclaimed. "Caroline and I made dessert, but it's a surprise."
He smiled, and held his hands up in surrender. "Okay, I promise I won't look in the fridge."
"Good. Now come look, we made our own pasta noodles, see!" She pointed to a pile of noodles coiled up in a bowl. "Caroline's making fresh garlic bread too. And this is our pasta sauce…" She hopped off her stool and moved to the stove and grabbed up a wooden spoon, still wearing a little sauce from the last time she'd stirred it. "You want a taste?"
"I'll wait for dinner."
"Your loss." Shrugging, she walked back to her stool. And then, sniffing the air, she frowned, and leaned toward him. "You smell good. Usually you stink after practice."
He shook his head, and ruffled her hair. "I showered."
"Did you put on cologne?"
Feeling a flush crawl up his neck, he grinned at his sister. "Yes, I also put on deodorant. Any more questions, Sheriff Third Degree?"
She smirked up at him knowingly. "Nope."
"Good. I'm going to put my stuff away. Did you call mom? Let her know you'll be here with us today?"
Humming, she screwed up her mouth and shook her head. "No." She stretched an arm out toward the phone on the counter and just barely bumped it with the ends of her fingers.
Rolling his eyes, Stefan leaned over, grabbed it up, and handed it to her. "Ask her what time she thinks she'll be home."
Saluting him, she dialed with her other thumb.
Walking behind her, he came to a stop next to Caroline. "Hey… Looks like you had a pretty busy afternoon."
"Yeah, we got a lot done." She smiled, but then bit her lip and glanced back at Eddy. When she took a step closer to him, his breath stuttered, and he watched her cheeks brighten a little. "Uh, sorry, I just… I ran into Elena and I thought we could talk about it… Not now, obviously, but…"
"Later, sure." He nodded. "Everything's okay though?" he wondered, searching her face.
"Yeah, it's fine. I just…" She shook her head. "It was just a weird thing that happened."
"Then we'll talk." His hand skimmed down her arm, gently squeezing her wrist. "Eddy does her homework after dinner anyway. Is that good?"
"Definitely, yeah."
"Okay." He took a step back, and then paused, reaching up to brush a smudge of flour from her chin. Smiling lightly, he pushed a loose curl of her hair back behind her ear and then turned to leave.
"He's getting better at that flirting thing, huh?" Eddy said just as he exited the kitchen.
Caroline giggled at her forwardness. "Yes, he is."
Stefan grinned as he climbed the stairs to the second floor, en route to his bedroom.
…
"Looking for Vicki?" Bonnie wondered.
Sighing, Matt nodded. "Her shift isn't supposed to be over for another hour, but the manager says she took off early."
Frowning sympathetically, she shook her head. "So what's the plan?"
"I don't know. I'm just getting tired of chasing her down and making up excuses for people. If she's not careful, she's gonna lose her job and… She needs it. Mom only sends so much money. It barely covers the rent."
"Maybe losing her job wouldn't be the worst thing. It could be a good wake-up call."
He snorted disbelievingly. "Yeah, right."
"You know, sometimes I forget she's older than you. I know you wanna save her, Matt, but sometimes you have to let people fall apart and put themselves back together."
"Maybe," he said quietly. "Unfortunately, if she falls apart, where's that leave me?"
Reaching out for him, she rubbed a hand over his shoulder. "You got me, and Tyler, and Stefan. We'll always be here."
Half-smiling, he nodded. "Thanks, Bon."
"Sure." She frowned. "I guess this means you're not up for pool tonight, huh?"
He cracked a smile. "Wish I could, but I've got homework stacking up. I should get home, try to get it done before the electricity gets cut." He nodded his chin toward the tables. "Tyler might be up for a game."
Scrunching up her nose as she spun on her stool, she raised an eyebrow as she caught sight of Tyler flirting with not one, but three girls at the same time. "Yeah, he looks a little busy right now…"
Snorting a laugh, Matt shrugged.
"You think this means he's given up on Lexi?" she wondered.
"He likes a challenge."
"I'm pretty sure he'll lose that one."
"Yeah? I don't know… He might surprise you."
Bonnie scoffed, but before she could reply, she felt a flash of heat wash over her, and then a familiar tug at her belly. Instinctively, her eyes turned toward the door as it swung open. Damon Salvatore stepped through and Bonnie felt her heart squeeze, and then crawl up her throat. His gaze swung in her direction, and her lungs went still.
"Bon?" Matt called, his voice distant.
The outside world seemed to hollow out, slow down, and quiet itself. She was caught up in the mutual stare down, a strange tingling in the tips of her fingers, and then he blinked, and air rushed into her lungs.
"Bonnie?" A hand squeezed her shoulder.
"Huh? Sorry, what?" She turned on her stool to see a curious Matt staring back at her.
"Nothing, just… lost you there for a second. You okay?"
"Yeah, fine, just… distracted."
"All right, well, I'm heading out. See ya tomorrow?"
"Yeah, sure, tomorrow." She smiled vaguely, and waved to him as he left. Using it as an excuse to look over her shoulder, her gaze traveled across the room, searching out the elusive Salvatore brother. But she couldn't spot him. Had he slipped out or sat down somewhere out of sight or—
A stool shifted beside her and Bonnie turned forward again. Through the mirrored wall behind the liquor bottles, she could see Damon sitting next to her, his mouth tilted faintly.
"It's Bonnie, right?" he said, as if he knew she was looking at him.
Nodding, she straightened her back and lifted her chin, shifting in her seat to face him. She wasn't sure why she was feeling defensive, but she was.
He smirked. "Fancy meeting you here…"
…
"Did Eddy tell you about the miraculous escape of the science lab frogs?" Caroline sipped at her glass of water, her brows hiked.
"No, she didn't…" Stefan turned to his little sister. "Why do I get the feeling I'll be hearing from your principal soon?"
Eddy shrugged. "I'm not saying I let them out, but if I did, there'd be no way to prove it."
"Is that your official stance on it then? Should I pass that on if they ask me about it?"
"Y'know, I'm starting think there's some kind of bias going on there. Why does he always blame me for everything that goes wrong at the school? I'm an upstanding citizen. If I want to be sheriff one day, I have to start setting an example early." She banged a fist down on the table for emphasis. And then grinned. "That is my official stance."
Stefan smiled. "Noted."
"What about you?" Caroline wondered. "Were you big into social activism at Eddy's age? Save any helpless amphibians?"
Laughing under his breath, he sat back in his chair. "Uh, not on the same scale, no."
"What about that time you staged a protest against the banned books list?" Eddy asked. "Or when you went on a hunger strike in sixth grade because the cafeteria food was gross? Or that time you—"
"Okay," he interrupted, fiddling with his fork. "I might've rebelled a little."
"Your protested?" Caroline asked, interest piqued.
"I was eight, and they were trying to ban Harry Potter, which I was reading at the time. And then I started researching it and finding out about all these other books they'd banned and I… got excited. So I decided to stage a protest in front of city hall, and I got all my friends in on it, and my parents, and… yeah." He nodded, his face flushed a little. "It worked. At least for Mystic Falls. They decided to review which books were on the banned list and a lot them were removed, including Harry Potter."
Caroline's brows hiked. "Wow, look at you. Activism runs in the family, huh?"
He shook his head, waving a hand modestly. "It was small scale. I was young."
"You didn't like what was happening, so you stood up against it." She nodded. "That's awesome, seriously."
He stared back at her, a faint smile pulling at his mouth.
"If you guys are going to stare at each other like that all night, I'm going to eat dessert all by myself."
Tearing her eyes away, Caroline looked at Eddy, amused. "Subtle." She pushed back from the table, pulling her napkin from her lap and putting it atop the table. "Come on, I'll help you bring it out."
"Yes!" Hopping off her chair, Eddy followed her into the kitchen and started digging around for a large serving spoon, three bowls, and three regular spoons.
"It's nothing super elaborate, it's mostly just fresh whipped cream and berries and some graham crackers on the bottom for crunch." Caroline carried the bowl into the dining room. "Eddy made the whipped cream and picked which berries to use. There's a ton leftover. She already put some away for a snack at the football game tomorrow."
"It looks great," Stefan said, eyeing the large bowl. "Although I find it hard to believe you can top the pasta. That was the best thing I think I've ever eaten…"
Flushed with pride, Caroline smiled down at him. "Thank you. I had a lot of help."
"Caroline's going to teach me to bake too," Eddy told him, hopping back onto her chair and handing Caroline the serving spoon while she held up two of the bowls. "We're going to make a whole bunch of things. You can be our taste tester."
"Yeah?" he asked.
"Mmhmm. If you're lucky, we'll let you clean up after too."
"Lucky, huh?"
She grinned at him, and then handed his dessert bowl to him when it was full, before grabbing up a spoon and dropping it in the center. "Eat up, buttercup."
"Thank you, Ed," he said, amused.
With a salute, she reached down for the third bowl and held it up too. After Caroline filled each, Eddy sat back and grabbed the spoons for each before passing her bowl back.
Taking her seat, Caroline dug out a bite of her own but watched as Eddy tried hers. "Well?"
Eddy licked her lips of excess whipped cream. "S'good!"
Caroline nodded. "Glad to hear it."
"Mmhmm." Hopping off her chair then, Eddy announced, "I'm gonna eat this in my room. I got homework. See ya, Caroline. Thanks for dinner!"
"Thanks for helping."
"Anytime, civilian!" Rushing out of the room then, they could hear her heavy footsteps as she climbed the stairs.
"She's awesome," Caroline said, turning to him. "You're lucky."
"You've got one of your own, and you're pretty close. I'm not the only lucky one."
"Yeah. Lexi is something else. She's… I don't know. I can't really explain it."
"Is it a twin thing?"
She laughed. "Well, there's that, but… I think there are just people in your life, family or friends or whatever, and they shape it. They shape you. The best parts of you. And I think, without Lexi, I'd be something else. Someone else."
Stefan hummed, nodding. "Maybe I should thank her then… for shaping you this way."
Caroline gaze across at him, her expression soft. "Do you have people like that?"
"I do. Yeah. Matt was a big one. Then there's Bonnie. She… She's a rock. Always has been. And…" He frowned. "For a long time, that's what I thought Elena was. But… I don't know. I think she brought out a side of me that I didn't really like. So, I guess if there are people who can shape the best of you, there are some who can shape the worst."
"Yeah." Katherine's face popped into mind, her lips upturned in a teasing smirk. "I guess so."
"Speaking of…" He stared at her searchingly. "You wanted to talk to me about something that happened today? With Elena?"
"Oh, right. Uh… Well, Eddy and I went grocery shopping to get everything for dinner and we ran into Elena. She wanted to talk to me alone, and I didn't really think Eddy wanted to hear any of that, so I sent her ahead. But…" She took a deep breath. "I don't know. I think, at first, Elena was just trying to figure out what was happening between us. I'm not really close to her. I'm more friends with Bonnie. But I did talk to her a few times, and the prevailing theme was her feelings for you. So, I guess she felt a little betrayed that you and I were… spending time together."
Stefan nodded, humming thoughtfully. "What did you say?"
"Uh, not much. Just that we liked each other and I… wanted to see where it might go and that, if she had a problem with that, she needed to talk to you about it."
"Okay. Good. That's… I can talk to her."
Caroline nodded, stirring her spoon in her dessert.
"Did she say anything else?"
"Hm?"
"You're making a face." He pointed, motioning his finger around. "I might not know all of them yet, but that one definitely says something's bothering you…"
Caroline bit her lip. "She might've added that it was… temporary. This… thing between us. That you would always go back to her and you would always love her and… that you were soulmates." Her brow furrowed. "I don't know. It was weird."
"Soulmates," he repeated.
"Yeah." She forced a smile. "You know, I don't think I've ever fought a girl for someone. Or a boy for that matter."
"No?"
"No, I… I've mostly avoided relationships," she admitted.
Stefan waited, and Caroline knew that her story was bubbling on the end of her tongue. She just wasn't sure how much she wanted to share, or how much she should.
"There was someone, once…" She shifted in her seat, glancing at him. "A long time ago."
"Did you love them?"
"I…" She swallowed tightly. "I don't know. I know that sounds like a cop-out, but… I really don't. Sometimes I think I did. I think… yeah, that must've been what it was. But other times… I'm not so sure."
He stared at her, and then reached across the table to lay his hand over hers, warm and soothing. "It's okay not to know."
Caroline felt every muscle in her body suddenly let go of the tension that had built up. "Yeah." She smiled, and shook her head. "Anyway, that was way too depressing. Um, I just thought you should know, about Elena."
"Okay, good." He nodded. "On a somewhat related note… Could we stop calling this a 'thing'?" He grinned. "I prefer 'dating' or 'tentatively dating' if you're still unsure."
Giggling, she sat back in her seat. "Dating," she agreed.
"Great."
"Eat your dessert," she told him, nodding her chin forward. "Eddy and I spent hours making all this food."
"I appreciate the effort." He rubbed his thumb over her knuckles. "You're setting the bar pretty high though. I'm not sure how I'm supposed to top homemade pasta, especially when it tastes that good."
Caroline grinned. "You can't top it. But I look forward to seeing you try."
Stefan smiled. "Challenge accepted."
…
"Do you always hang out with your sisters' friends?" Bonnie wondered, resting her elbow on the bar as she peered up at him.
Damon's mouth kicked up on one side. "I'm a little short on friends of my own currently. Why? Are you all booked up? No room left on the roster?"
She pursed her lips at him. "No… Just, curious, I guess."
Humming, he leaned toward her. "I didn't come looking for you, if that's what you think. But you are the only familiar place in here." In a stage-whisper, he added, "And I hear drinking alone is frowned upon."
"The first sign of alcoholism," she replied, raising an eyebrow.
"You go right for the throat, huh?" He grinned. "You know, from what I heard, you were supposed to be the nice one."
"I am nice."
"Yeah?" He leaned toward her. "Prove it."
Her head cocked. "How?"
"Share a drink with me, tell me about yourself, be my one-woman welcoming committee."
Bonnie snorted. "I'm underage, first of all—"
"I'm sure they have something vintage on the soda dispenser."
"—and there's not much to tell." She shrugged. "I'm pretty simple."
Damon shook his head. "I find that hard to believe."
Staring up at him a moment, she bit the inside of her cheek. "I'm an only child, my parents divorced when I was still in diapers, mom left, so I spend most of my time between my dad and my grandmother. See? Simple."
He hummed. "So no skeletons in the closet?"
"Nope, skeleton free." A whisper in the back of her mind reminded her of her grandmother and her fantastical stories about witchcraft and Salem and manifesting powers. But she swallowed it down and turned her gaze down to her half-finished glass of Coke. "What about you? Any skeletons?"
"Tons," he confessed. "I had to enlarge the closet. It's a walk-in now with a specialty made shelving unit for easier categorizing of my many issues."
Bonnie cracked a smile. "Baggage?"
"Loads of it." His eyes flashed wide as she watched him through the mirror. He was staring at her, bright blue eyes taking in her side profile.
"At least you're honest," she mused.
He smirked. "To a fault, really. My sister says I'm rude."
"Which one?" She looked back at him.
He grinned. "Both."
"Are they right?"
"More than they're wrong." His eyes skittered across her face. "You're very beautiful."
Bonnie's heart jumped. "I… Thanks."
He shrugged. "Just being honest."
Her brows furrowed. "I think you like shocking people. Taking them off guard." She nodded. "You like getting a reaction."
Leaning toward her, he asked, "Is that what I'm getting…? A reaction out of you."
Bonnie swallowed tightly. "I—"
"Bonnie!"
Jumping in her seat, Bonnie's eyes darted away, landing on a frowning Elena, who was hurrying her way. "Hey… uh, Elena. What's up?"
Frowning, Elena took a seat on her other side. "Did you know about Stefan and Caroline?"
She blinked, a little surprised at the hostile tone. "Did I know what…?"
"That they're dating or something. I ran into her at the grocery store earlier. She was shopping with Eddy. I think they were having some kind of date night."
Bonnie paused. "Wait, is that why you left practice early?"
"No."
Unconvinced, Bonnie tipped her head to eye her skeptically. "The whole field heard Eddy tell Stefan she was going shopping with Caroline…"
"Fine," she sighed. "I just needed to know what was going on."
"And?"
"And… I confronted her."
"Elena…" Bonnie blew out an exasperated breath.
"I know. It was stupid. I just… I was upset and it feels like every time I decide to talk to him, something interrupts. I just feel like if we had a real chance to talk we could figure this out." She frowned, running a hand back through her hair. "I mean, I get it, he likes her, but… He's only known her a few days. We have history together. I love him, and I know he loves me too. This thing, with Caroline, I mean." She scoffed. "It's clearly a rebound, you know? It's not going to last. She's just a convenient distraction. But... He doesn't need one. I'm done with Matt and I'm ready to make a real commitment. I just need to tell him that."
Bonnie opened her mouth to reply, but before she could, a snort came from her left. Both she and Elena looked toward Damon, who was smirking once more, but there was something cold in his eyes that Bonnie hadn't seen before. A shiver ran down her back, spreading over her skin with a ripple of warning.
"I think that's my cue to exit." He knocked his knuckles on the bar and then looked between the two girls. "You ladies have a good night gossiping about Boy-Wonder." With that, he turned on his heel and strode away.
Grimacing, Bonnie watched him go and then turned back to Elena.
"Who was that?" Elena asked, confused.
"Damon Salvatore… Caroline's older brother."
"Oh my God…" Elena's head fell, along with her shoulders. "This day can't get any worse, I swear."
Shaking her head, Bonnie stared at her. "Listen, I should've said this before, but… I think you need to let Stefan go."
Elena's head popped back up. "What?"
"He's happy, Elena. Happier than I've seen him in a really long time, and I think this thing you're doing, how hard you're trying to get him back, I think that'll only mess things up. And, to be honest, I think it'll blow up in your face." She frowned. "I talked to Stefan. I asked him how he would feel if you wanted to get back together, just the two of you, and… He doesn't want to. I… I know you're upset and I know you still have feelings for him, but I really think you should let him go. For his sake and yours."
"Bonnie…" She sat back, stunned and hurt. "It's Stefan."
She nodded. "I know."
Huffing out a breath, Elena shoved off her seat. "I don't think you do. No offense, but… You've never been in love. You haven't felt what I have. I won't let him go. I can't."
With that, she walked away, and Bonnie was left to sit at the bar, alone and tired.
This so wasn't how she'd hoped her night would go.
…
"You're sure you don't want to take some of that pasta home with you?" Stefan asked, as they crossed the porch and walked down the stairs.
"No, it's fine." She shook her head. "I can make pasta anytime. Keep it."
"I'll put some away for my mom. She never remembers to eat after a shift. The rest I'm sure Eddy will polish off." Tucking his hands in the pockets of his jeans, he walked with her to her car. "She had a lot of fun with you today. I'm glad you guys got some time to hang out together."
"She's really important to you, and I enjoyed myself. It's nice having someone to cook with. My brother and I used to, when I was younger, but… we haven't done that for a really long time."
"Sounds like you two have some catching up to do," he mused.
"Yeah, we do." She half-smiled. "Damon's difficult. He's… mercurial. One day he's the best brother I could ever ask for, and the next he's an unholy terror."
Stefan laughed. "Siblings are like that."
Caroline smiled. Digging her car keys out from her purse, she fiddled with them between her fingers. "I had fun tonight, and I'm looking forward to the football game tomorrow."
"Good. Great. Uh…" He grinned at her, searching her eyes. "I did too. Maybe next time we could do this without my little sister tagging along."
She tipped her head, and teased, "Are you trying to get me alone, Mister Forbes?"
"Honestly?" He laughed under his breath. "Yes, absolutely."
She bit her lip. "Good."
"Listen, Caroline, I…" He trailed off as she took a step toward him, and Caroline heard his heart stutter in his chest.
"Since we're not-so-tentatively dating, I don't think it's too far-fetched to expect a good night kiss." She stared up at him, her lips parted. "But if you need a little more time or…"
His hand brushed against hers, their fingers braiding together, and Caroline's voice faded away. "I am more than okay with a goodnight kiss."
She laughed, smiling. "Well, good, because I'm definitely expecting one at this point."
Reaching his free hand up, his fingers skimmed along her cheek, and gently tucked her hair away. As he stepped forward, so did she, until they were chest to chest, and she was lifting up on the tips of her toes. Their noses brushed together as he stared down at her, and Caroline felt the barest touch of his lips against her own, his breath fanning over her mouth. For the first time in a hundred and forty-five years, she felt nervous about something as simple as a kiss. But then his mouth slanted over hers, warm and steady, and simple. And with a shaky exhale, she released every fear and every uncertainty from herself, and she leaned up into it, embracing the moment as it was, right then, embracing them.
Stefan's fingers stretched through her hair, coiling around it, like he was holding on, and then he kissed her a little harder, with a little more certainty that this was what he wanted, what she wanted. Her hand slid up the front of his chest and teased over the fabric of his shirt, over the pounding of his heart. And she smiled, tongue dabbing at the seam of his lips until they opened, teeth lightly scraping at her bottom lip.
Caroline was pretty sure she could go on doing that for a whole lot longer, that she could lose herself in the way his fingers twitched in her hair when she did something he liked or how he hummed and pressed himself against her, until every inch of his body found purchase against her own. But then headlights flashed across them, reality forcing its way back in, and they broke apart, panting a little.
"Stefan?"
Blinking, he lifted his head, and turned toward the SUV slowing down on the street. "Uh, mom?"
"Mom!?" Caroline leaned back, wiping at her lips and turning to see who he was talking to.
An amused and smiling Sheriff Forbes stared back at her, lifting a hand from the steering wheel to wave at her. "Hi there. You must be Caroline… My daughter's told me a lot about you."
She waved awkwardly. "Oh, uh, yeah, hi, Sheriff Forbes."
Stefan rubbed a hand down the back of his neck. "You're off work early?"
"No, I've still got a while yet. I just thought I'd drop in, see how things were going here, but… Looks like you've got it handled."
Stefan rolled his eyes. "Okay, thanks, mom. Bye…"
Grinning, she waved. "Bye, Stefan. Nice meeting you, Caroline. Hopefully next time, we'll get a chance to talk."
"Sure, that's be great," Caroline agreed, nodding.
"Make sure Eddy does her homework before bed," Sheriff Forbes added, then kissed her fingers and waved them to her son. "I'll see you tomorrow, love you."
"Love you too," he told her, nodding.
They watched the SUV drive off, tail lights slowly growing smaller.
"She seems nice," Caroline commented.
Stefan laughed. "She is." He turned toward her. "That wasn't… exactly how I imagined our first kiss ending."
Grinning, she shook her head. "I don't know. At least it's not forgettable."
"No?"
"No." Leaning up, she pressed one last lingering kiss to his lips, and then turned, pulling open her car door. "I'll see you at the game tomorrow. Tell Eddy to text me when she's ready to go."
"I will." He nodded, stepping up to the curb as she climbed in and drew the door closed behind her.
She smiled up at him through the window, and raised her hand in a wave as she turned the ignition.
And as she pulled away from the curb, she watched him grow smaller in her rear-view mirror, her fingers pressed to her lips.
Absolutely unforgettable.
…
Outside Mystic Grill, Elena marched down the sidewalk, her arms crossed over her chest and her mind elsewhere. She'd planned on catching a ride home with Bonnie, but clearly that wasn't going to happen. Dragging in a deep breath, she let it out on a sigh, and ran her hands back over her head, smoothing them down her hair. A year ago, her life had been completely different. Her parents were alive, she had not one, but two, amazing boyfriends, the best friends a girl could ask for, she was top of her class, and she felt untouchable, on top of the world even. Now, all she had was Bonnie, and even she wasn't supporting her like she used to. Her parents were gone, her ex-boyfriends wanted nothing to do with her, her grades were slipping, and everything felt like it was just a mudslide of never-ending disappointment.
But she could fix it, she was sure she could. She just had to fix things with Stefan and everything else would fall into place. She'd study more and get back on the cheerleading squad, pick up her old friendships, and get back on top of things. Once her and Stefan figured things out, Bonnie would realize she was wrong, and they could go back to how they were before. Before Caroline and Lexi Salvatore breezed into town. Before her parents died. Before all this drama between Matt and Stefan. Before all of it.
Thumbs tucked in the loops of her jeans, she walked down the street, smiling to herself, and feeling pretty good about her decision. And then she heard a strange whistling sound coming from the alleyway just ahead of her. Brow furrowed, she walked toward it slowly, curiously. She reached into her purse for her phone when a trickle of apprehension ran down her spine, but her feet didn't slow. Just as she reached the mouth of the alley, she saw a flash of blue, and then white, and a man materialized from the shadows.
"It's Damon, right?" She shifted her feet. "Look, about earlier, what I said about Caroline…"
His mouth split in a grin, all bright white teeth with no humor to be found. "I get it. I'll even pass on the message that she's just a pretty little distraction."
Elena winced. "I didn't mean—"
"I know what you meant. Wasn't hard to figure out." He walked toward her, head tipped. "You do look remarkably like her. It's almost eerie." He looked her figure over. "Unfortunately, I've never been a fan of knock offs. There's just something missing."
Elena's brows furrowed. "I— I don't understand…"
"That's okay. You don't have to. You won't even remember this."
"I... What?" She took a wary step back.
Damon laughed. "Anyone ever tell you that you lack preservation skills? That's what makes you the perfect prey."
Elena yanked her phone up then, but it felt from her hand when he rushed forward and grabbed her by the throat, pulling her into the shadows of the alley and pressing her against a cold, brick wall. Her heart hammered desperately in her chest as she stared up at his twisted, ghoulish face. Black veins crawled across his cheeks and his eyes had turned a gruesome blood red. Snarling at her, he showed of terrifyingly sharp fangs, and Elena let out a strangled whimper.
"For the record," he said, brushing a strand of loose hair from her cheek. "This isn't because your sad-sack of an ex-boyfriend is using my little sister to get over you. It's not even because you insulted her back there. Because if it was, that might mean some tiny shred of decency or humanity was still floating around in here, and it's not." He shook his head. "So this, this is because your face is distracting. I spent a century and a half burying all the fucked up things I did in the name of love, and all you do is remind me of my many, many failures. Now…" He pressed his thumb against her chin, turning her head to the side to better offer himself her neck. "This is gonna hurt. A lot."
Elena screamed as his teeth broke through her skin, but it was my muffled by the press of his hand, and all she could do was struggle and cry and pray for him to stop. Please, please, stop. But he wouldn't; he didn't so much as hesitate.
In fact, it wasn't until her vision began to fade and her heart slowed that he finally dragged his mouth back and licked the blood still streaming down his chin, in sharp contrast to his pale skin. He tore open his own wrist with his teeth and pressed it to her mouth, until she was choking as she swallowed it back. Finally, he stared into her eyes and told her, "Clean yourself up and forget this ever happened."
And like a switch was flicked in her head, that was exactly what Elena did.
[next: chapter nine.]
author's note: i've been asked a few times what's going on with elena, and what she thinks about the progression of steroline, so i hope this clears that up. she very much still has feelings for stefan, but as bonnie's pointed out before, it stems a lot from him deciding to move on. unlike matt, he wasn't willing to wait anymore, and she felt like she was losing someone she thought would always be there, so she's holding on tighter. unfortunately for her, her chance with stefan has passed.
to clear up that moment with elena and damon where he says he's not attacking her because of caroline, he's partly lying (both to her and himself). he doesn't want to care, but part of his lashing out at elena is because he's defending his sister. which is no excuse, obviously, but he still has some growth to do when it comes to valuing human life.
some reviewers have asked about who bonnie might be with and whether delena will happen. for the record, bonnie/damon is a main pairing. they'll be explored more as the story progresses. he and elena won't have anything romantic between them.
thanks for reading. hope you enjoyed it! please try to leave a review!
- lee | fina
