Magical Steroline

Chapter 10 – Preparations

"So we are looking for a dress for you to wear on your date with Klaus?" Bonnie asked, as she searched through the racks for a dress for herself and Caroline for the pageant.

"Not a dress to wear for Klaus, but to look beautiful as the former winner without upstaging the replacement." Caroline almost growled, the annoyance that Klaus was going to be her date taking her excitement for the pageant away. She was looking forward to it, despite having to give her crown back, but now that excitement had turned into dread. She had to spend the whole day with Klaus, with Stefan looking on from the sidelines. She had wanted to go with him, but she never got the chance to ask him. Damn Klaus.

"Uh huh." Bonnie hummed in amusement. She knew that this pageant was going to end in disaster. There was no way that Stefan was just going to watch quietly from the background as Klaus paraded Caroline around on his arm. She wouldn't be surprised if things came down to blows between them, "What does Stefan think about your date with Klaus?"

Caroline shrugged and purposely almost hid herself in the clothes she was looking through to avoid eye contact with Bonnie, "He's… fine. He… understands."

"Right, sure he does." Bonnie snorted, shaking her head in fond exasperation with her best friend and her ability to see whatever she wanted to in a situation. She would put money on the fact that Stefan was as not-fine and not-understanding as you could be. The girl he was sleeping with and had feelings for was going on a date with another man. He must be boiling with jealousy and insecurity. Damon stole his last girlfriend, and now Klaus was attempting to do the same thing – without actually knowing that Caroline was Stefan's girl to be stolen.

"If Tyler and I were still together he would have been pissed off definitely, but Stefan is just my best friend, so he feels sorry that I had to agree to do this in the first place but he knows the reason why." Caroline felt tears pricking her eyes unexpectedly, sorrow filling her chest for no reason that she knew of, her voice faltering as she continued, "It was for Elena."

Bonnie heard the pain lingering in her voice and in an instant she had her arms wrapped around Caroline from behind, rocking with her friend as she took unsteady breaths. There was the insecurity she had been waiting for Caroline to express, knowing that the confidence in being friends with benefits was not the real feelings in her heart. She knew that Caroline had moved past most of her feelings of inadequacy that she used to feel around Elena, but this was about Stefan, and they'd all had front row seats to the Stefan and Elena love story. It had been epic and perfect, too perfect, and as such eventually fell apart as Elena fell in love with his own brother, and Stefan had fallen for his best friend. Only Caroline didn't know that yet.

Caroline took a deep breath, shaking her head out of whatever had come over her, "I'm sorry, Bonnie, I don't know what came over me."

Bonnie let out a groan, "Seriously, Care? You are gonna play that card?"

"I don't know what you are talking about." Caroline still refused to meet Bonnie's eyes, afraid of what she would read there.

"Yes you do, Caroline." Bonnie was not to be deterred, she would get it through her stubborn best friend's head, with a sledgehammer if need be, "You are insecure about Stefan's feelings for you and whether or not he still has lingering feelings for Elena." She repressed a smirk at the way Caroline stiffened, knowing that she had hit the nail on the head, as she knew her best friend like the back of her hand, "If only you could see the way he looks at you when you're not looking, then you would have your answer."

Caroline shook her head, unwilling to believe what Bonnie was saying. She was scared that her carefully built house of cards was about to come crumbling down and she would be the one floored in the mess.

"You are terrified that he will go back to her in a heartbeat." Bonnie continued, knowing in her heart of hearts that it was the right thing to get Caroline to really think about her and Stefan, "But he won't, I know he won't, because he looks at you differently than he looked at her."

"Thanks, Bonnie." Caroline choked, a single tear falling down her cheek, "I don't need you to tell me that Stefan will never look at me the way he looked at her." She crossed her arms over her chest agitatedly, "Because, trust me, I already know that."

"You misunderstand me." Bonnie reached for her arms, pulling them out of where they were crossed so that she could take Caroline's hands in hers, she smiled at her as she told her honestly, "With Elena, he held her on a pedestal, and you could just see how desperate he was to keep her. But you, oh boy, Caroline, the way he looks at you its..."

"It's what?" Caroline asked quietly, afraid to hear but needing to know the answer with everything inside of her.

"It's how we all wish a man would look at us." Bonnie smiled, tightening her hold on Caroline's hands as she told her what she'd seen since she began observing them, "You are not on a pedestal in his eyes. He sees you, Caroline Forbes, flaws and all, and he loves you for them. Not in spite of them but because of them."

Caroline felt the tears in her eyes as her heart beat wildly in her chest, hope flowing through her that what Bonnie said was true, and that Stefan loved her just as much as she was beginning to realize that she loved him. Still, she had to be sure, "How can you be so sure?"

"Because I have eyes." Bonnie replied instantly, rolling her eyes good-naturedly, "And anyone who spends five minutes with the two of you can tell that you both are completely in love with each other."

Caroline chuckled, before quickly sobering up as she voiced her fear, "I'm scared." At Bonnie's encouraging look she poured her heart out, "Not just of the whole Stefan and Elena epic love thing. But also because Tyler and I were epic in our own right and he broke my heart."

"Perhaps that's your problem." Bonnie replied, a gentle smile on her lips, "Stop looking for epic love that never lasts, and start finding real love that can last lifetimes." She winked at Caroline as she teased, "A love built on friendship has a very solid foundation. The best ones start that way."

Caroline couldn't stop the grin that covered her face, Bonnie's words making butterflies fill her stomach. Best friends falling in love was the perfect way to start a relationship, as you already knew everything about each other, and cared so much about the other. It was something to think about it, as they couldn't continue as friends with benefits forever, soon they would either have to take the leap and give what they had a go, or let each other go and try and go back to being just friends. Her heart twisted at the thought, she didn't think that she wanted to go back to being friends, and she wasn't sure that she could.

Bonnie thought she'd given Caroline enough to think about, so she changed the subject to give her friend time to come to terms with what was obvious to her. Stefan and Caroline could be the beginning of something amazing, if only they both gave it a chance. She picked a random dress off the rack and held it up, "What about this?"

Immediately Caroline turned a critical eye over the dress, shaking her head straight away, "No way. It doesn't do you justice." She hooked her arm through Bonnie's and led her over to another rack and started looking for a dress more suitable.

Damon frowned as he entered the boarding house, he could hear someone rooting around up in one of the rooms. Since Stefan had moved out the house had been uncomfortably quiet, silence a constant companion and the house felt even lonelier and less like home than it ever had before. He silently made his way through the house, up the stairs to the source of the noise, which was coming from Stefan's bedroom.

He pushed open the door, his body poised to attack, only relaxing when he saw Stefan throwing clothes onto the bed. He sauntered in, raising his eyebrow at the mess his brother was making, and couldn't help but ask in confusion, "I thought you'd moved out? Has blondie grown tired of you already?"

Stefan really didn't want to see his brother right now, as he was already full of anger and he was liable to lash out. Whether his brother deserved it or not. He moved away from his closet to growl at Damon, "I have still moved out. I am just looking for a suit."

"What for?" Damon leaned against the dresser, crossing his arms casually over his chest.

"The Miss Mystic Falls pageant." Stefan answered through gritted teeth, the overwhelming urge to punch something or someone – preferably a certain British man – was making him broodier than he had been in months.

"And that has made you surly why?" Damon asked, noticing the agitation in Stefan's every move. He was boiling with anger and he was curious as to why. He had been loved up with Caroline for months and he wondered what happened, "Did Caroline break up with you or something?"

"No!" Stefan growled at Damon, his eyes close to pulsating with veins, and it took everything that Caroline taught him to rein in his desire to go ripper.

"Then what's wrong? Besides me and Elena." Damon hadn't broached the subject of him and Elena since Stefan had moved out, wanting to give his brother some time away from them, and also to give him space so that Elena wouldn't feel guilty for breaking his heart. Selfish he knew, but no one had ever accused him of being selfless.

"You and Elena are not a problem." Stefan answered honestly, furrowing his brow that Damon even thought that was still a problem, besides the fact that his own brother would do that to him, he didn't love Elena any more so he didn't care that Damon was with her. Good luck to them, "I'm in love with Caroline."

It was what Damon wanted to hear but he had to ask just to be clear, "So you really don't feel anything for Elena any more? You have gotten over her just like that." He snapped his fingers to emphasize his point.

Stefan snorted as he reminded Damon, "I was not the one who was still in love with Katherine after 145 years. I got over her long before that." He smirked at his brother, "I get over people. You, however, do not."

"We are not talking about me." Damon narrowed his eyes at Stefan, uncomfortable with the subject he'd brought up as he really didn't want to talk about that, so he asked again, "Do you still love Elena?"

"No, Damon, I don't love Elena." Stefan kept his eyes on Damon to show him how serious he was, "I can't love someone who one moment claimed that I'm her only choice and then falls for you the next. I deserve better than that. I lived that history once and I have no intention of doing it again." He turned back to his closet, looking through his clothes again as he added, "Why would I even want to when I have Caroline? She makes me happy. She brings out the light in me. I would do anything for her." A smile curls his lips involuntary as he thinks of his beautiful blonde love, and he whispered to himself forgetting his brother's presence for a moment, "She's the one for me."

Damon was surprised at Stefan's words, but he was also relieved that his brother no longer had feelings for Elena. He didn't want to keep repeating their own history either, even though they had, and he was glad that Stefan was done with their triangle for good. Perhaps there was hope for all of them to get their happy ending.

He wanted to change the subject so he asked, "Why are you mad at your clothes?"

Stefan slumped his head against the door of his closet and groaned, "Because Caroline is going to the pageant with Klaus and I am going to keep an eye on them."

"Is there a plan to take him out that I'm not aware of?" Damon asked in confusion. Caroline was used to distract Klaus as he had a thing for her, but he was not aware of any plans they had that needed their little blonde distraction.

"No, there isn't." Stefan balled his hands into fists, clenching his jaw as he told Damon, "Caroline promised Klaus a date in exchange for the hybrid Jeremy killed to become a hunter and save Elena."

"And he's come to collect?" Damon asked knowingly.

Stefan nodded.

Damon glanced at his brother, seeing the agitation and rage bubbling under his skin easily, "Now you are full of jealous anger because Caroline has to flirt with Klaus for an afternoon."

"Would you want to have that happen to you?" Stefan shot back, raising his eyebrows, "Would you want to watch the love of your life flirt with the enemy?"

Damon's eyes widened at what Stefan had let slip, "Love of your life? Stefan, brother, you two are not even really together."

"I know how I feel, brother." Stefan replied, knowing deep in his heart that it was the truth. They weren't officially together, yet, but they soon would be. It was only a matter of time.

Damon furrowed his brow, wanting to bring his brother back down to earth, make him see the reality that he couldn't possibly know that Caroline was the love of his life after only a short time together. But he stopped himself from saying anything, as he was certain that Elena was the love of his life while she was still with Stefan. He wasn't in the best position to give his brother love advice, or warn him to take things slow.

Stefan ignored Damon and looked through his clothes on the bed. He wanted to look his best for Caroline, to upstage Klaus and keep his girl's eyes for him only. He knew he was jealous, but he wouldn't just sit back and let another man take his girlfriend away from him again. Caroline was his, and he would fight tooth and nail for her.

He looked through the options on his bed, and finally decided on a suit he thought Caroline would find him irresistible in. He hoped so anyway. He knew she didn't have any feelings for Klaus, only being nice and flirty to him for the sake of being a distraction. But he couldn't help the jealousy he felt, Klaus was very charming and determined, and he was scared that one day he might wear her down. He would not let that happen.

Caroline Forbes was meant for him, and he would do all that he could to convince her of that. Until the day she told him to his face that she no longer wanted to be with him in a romantic sense, he would respect whatever her choice was, but he wasn't above playing dirty.

Caroline walked into her home calling out, "Mom? Stefan? You here?" She listened for a moment, and hearing only silence in response she walked straight up to her room. She placed the bag with her dress in the closet, ready for when she would wear it in a couple of days.

She took off her shoes, and fell back onto her bed with a sigh. She was finally alone to think about what Bonnie had said. Stefan had obvious feelings for her, which Bonnie saw as him being in love with her, but until he told her to her face she wasn't sure if she could believe it. She knew that he was loving, giving, and caring with her, and that when they were together each night it was more making love than just having sex. She had been forcing herself to think of their intimate time as only having sex with each other, but she knew that she was just lying to herself, she could feel Stefan's feelings in every touch and kiss he gave her.

He should be heartbroken after Elena left him for his brother, but he wasn't, not since he first moved in. He had healed and moved on. After his nightmares they had grown closer and closer, spending the night in one another's arms was so intimate, and by the time the charity show had come and they had performed for each other, the sexual tension between them had exploded and they'd had sex against the wall. Not the most romantic setting but it just showed how much they had both wanted it, that they didn't care where they joined just as long as they did.

She was the one that had freaked out, Stefan wanted to give them a try right then and there. She tried to push him away, scared that his feelings for Elena were still there and he would break her heart like Tyler did but only worse, because she wouldn't just lose a boyfriend but her best friend as well.

What Stefan and her had could either be the best thing that ever happened to her, or it could be the thing to break her and leave her empty inside.

The question was…

Is Stefan Salvatore worth the risk?

She fell asleep with the answer still running through her mind.

Stefan unlocked the door to Caroline's house and walked in. He expected to see Caroline meet him but the lights were off and all was quiet. She must still be out shopping or hanging out with Bonnie. He walked up the stairs to their room and pushed open the door. A smile bloomed on his face at the wonderful sight that greeted his eyes.

Caroline was on her back lying across the bed, one hand curled into a fist beside her head, the other lying flat on her stomach, her feet hanging adorably off the edge of the bed, breathing heavily as she slept on peacefully.

It was one of the most beautiful and heart warming scenes he'd ever walked into. He went to the closet and placed his suit on the rail then shut the door. He walked over to the bed, getting in beside her and gently pulling her against his chest. He laid his cheek against her hair, closing his eyes as he tenderly brushed his knuckles against her arm. His heart was so full of love for her that it was a struggle not to express it to her. He had just wanted to be with her, completely and publicly, showing everyone how happy they were together.

He was just so in love with her.

He was dreading having to watch her and Klaus together. He and Caroline had only been best friends the last time he had watched the way Klaus was with her, and he was guilty of using his affection for her against him, sending Caroline in to distract him knowing that he wouldn't hurt her. Now that he loved her more than anything, he couldn't imagine ever letting that happen again, there was no guarantee that Klaus wouldn't hurt her if he got in a rage, he had daggered his own family so Caroline would be nothing to him.

He couldn't lose her now that he realized just how deeply he loved her. His hold tightened on her at the thought. He would keep an eye on them, and if Klaus did anything that Stefan didn't like, or made a move on Caroline in anyway, he would be there to stop it immediately.

He wouldn't let anything happen to her.

That promise was as true now as it was in that bathroom after she'd turned.

Stefan curled himself further around her, burying his nose in her hair so that he could breathe in her lovely scent, and he soon began to drift off with the girl he loved in his arms. His last thought before blackness overtook him was, I love you.

Caroline was in front of her mirror running her straightener through her hair as she finished off her look. She had on a gold dress that reached mid thigh with a small slit in the bottom. It was sexy but classy. She turned off her straightener and left it on the side to cool down. She checked herself over one last time, her dress clung to her in all the right places, and not a hair was out of place.

She smiled as she felt the two arms wind around her waist. She placed her hands on his and leaned back against his chest. She met his eyes in the mirror, "Hey."

"Hey." Stefan smiled back at her, placing a tender kiss against her cheek. He rest his head against her and checked her out in the mirror, "You look beautiful."

"Thank you." Caroline turned in his arms, wrapping her arms around his neck as she pulled his lips to hers in a passionate kiss. She moaned as she lost herself to his touch, wanting nothing more than to be spending this day with him, so she told him just that, "I wish you were my date."

Stefan nodded against her, pecking her lips firmly, wishing he never had to let her go, "So do I, Caroline."

Caroline slid one of her hands to cradle his cheek as she kissed him hard, with just a hint of desperation in her lips, leaving them both breathless as they parted. She glanced down at what he was wearing, a very flattering black suit that fitted him perfectly, a white shirt with the two few buttons undone showing a tease of his chest. She licked her lips, he looked absolutely delicious, and she couldn't resist running her fingers over his bare chest, "You are so handsome, Stefan."

"Thank you." Stefan pressed a kiss to her cheek, as he ran his hands down her arms to take her fingers in his and intertwine their hands together, "Ready to go?"

Caroline took a deep breath, steadying herself, before smiling and following Stefan out.

Once they arrived Caroline was off making sure everything was up to her impeccable standards. He couldn't stop himself from chuckling at the feared look on the faces of the staff she yelled at as they rushed to try and do everything that Caroline wanted them to.

Stefan was content to sit back and watch her. She was so beautiful, all fire and passion, and it made his heart race to know that he got to enjoy her fiery passion on a nightly basis. He caught her gaze and threw a smile at her, happy when she smiled gorgeously wide back, until her smile dropped off her face. He frowned as he wondered why, until he saw Klaus approach her. He couldn't stop himself from hurrying over there, he needed to make his presence known to Klaus.

"Hello, love." Klaus took hold of her hand bringing it up to his lips, "You look ravishing."

Caroline smiled awkwardly, feeling uncomfortable with Klaus' attentions knowing that Stefan was nearby. As if her thoughts had called him to her Stefan stood beside her, his hand resting on her waist as he all but hugged her. If the ground could swallow her now she would be grateful for it. She had a feeling this day was going to end in bloodshed and tears.

Klaus straightened as he saw the close way that Stefan was holding Caroline. He could practically feel the protectiveness jump off of Stefan in waves. He affected his usual relaxed pose, and smirked at his former friend, "Hello, ripper. Here to offer help to the lovely Caroline?"

Stefan bristled at the name, his arm instinctively pulling Caroline even closer into his side, his eyes fixed in a glare at Klaus, "Caroline is my best friend. I help her with everything."

Klaus tilted his head to the side as he studied Stefan. The way he said that had indicated that he meant it in every way it could be taken. Was his old friend crushing on Klaus' current obsession?

Caroline rolled her eyes, "Okay boys, that's enough of the pissing contest." She pulled away from Stefan's arm, narrowing her eyes at the both of them, "There is only so much testosterone I am willing to put up with." She spun around and walked off, making sure to swing her hips even more to accentuate her ass.

Klaus grinned as his eyes followed her sinful body as she walked away, "Magnificent, isn't she?"

"She's way too good for you." Stefan hissed his reply, glaring at the man he hated as he clenched his jaw.

Not bothered by Stefan's words in the slightest Klaus just patted him on the shoulder none too gently as he winked, "Maybe so. But she will be on my arm today as my date." The smirk spread across his face as he dug the knife in, "Not yours, ripper."

Stefan clenched his hands into fists as he glared at Klaus' retreating back, resisting the overwhelming urge to break his neck. He took a quick calming breath before following the same direction as Klaus and Caroline took. He was not going to leave Caroline alone with him.

TBC

AN – I hope you all enjoyed it. I know I said that the whole date would be this chapter but it was getting pretty long and I felt it would be better to have a whole chapter surrounding the date and jealous Stefan.