Casting Shadows

Chapter 9 - Caroline

Damon, Stefan, and Caroline stared at the unconscious Silas, and seemingly dead Katherine in complete silence. No one spoke. The room was deathly silence. Until an unbelievable sound finally registered.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

"Do you hear that?" Damon asked, needing to make sure he was hearing things when he heard the heartbeat.

"How is that possible?" Caroline gasped, the heartbeat quickening.

Damon stared wide eyed down at Katherine, "Takes a licking, keeps on ticking."

Katherine's eyes shoot open as she awakens. She turns her head to look in Damon's direction, and groaned, "Am I in hell?"

"Nope." Damon snorted, staring at Katherine in disbelief, "You are just really hard to kill."

Katherine laughed as she sat up, "What have I told you, Damon?" She smirked at him, shakily getting to her feet, crossing her arms over her chest, and cockily said, "I'm Katherine Pierce. I'm a survivor." She looked down at the no longer dessicated Silas, "Is he human now?"

"Yep." Damon answered.

"Well, I think I'll be going now." Katherine shuffled across the room stiffly, her body aching and her muscles sore. She couldn't believe she'd survived the cure being pulled from her veins, she was finally free, again.

Damon stared down at Silas, "Now we just need for him to wake up, and we can start on bringing back Bonnie."

"How is that going to work?" Caroline asked, walking past Damon she punched him on the arm, "Thanks for including me in a plan to bring back Bonnie. Ass."

Damon rubbed his arm, narrowing his eyes at Caroline, the desire to snap her neck high. He resisted the urge, only glaring at her, "When he dies, he will do some witchy magic, and swap places with Bonnie."

Caroline knew that it was his endgame from the start, to die, but some part of her ached at the thought of Silas dying, while another part of her rejoiced at the thought of Bonnie being alive again. How had he gotten under her skin in such a small amount of time? It wasn't like the dark and forbidden attraction she had shared with Klaus. Of course she found Silas attractive, he did look like Stefan after all, there was some part of her that was drawn to him and she found herself liking him.

She sat beside Silas, took his now warm hand in hers, and waited for him to wake up.

Stefan clenched his jaw. For the second time tonight Caroline was sitting next to Silas, showing her concern for him, and it twisted something in his gut. He hated that she felt something other than hatred in his presence, especially after he had locked him in a safe for three months; not that he could remember.

Caroline gasped as the fingers within her grasp tightened on hers. She looked up, and was met with the clear green eyes of Silas.

Silas smiled at her, his free hand coming up to cradle her jaw, "If possible, you're even more beautiful to me now."

Caroline took a moment to appreciate that Silas wasn't dead, his smile returned on her lips, her head tilting into his palm. She stared straight into his warm eyes, and slapped him around the face, the slap reverberating around the room.

Silas loving look turned into one of complete and utter shock. Caroline had just hit him. Hard. So hard that his cheek was actually stinging. He resisted the urge to rub it.

Caroline stood up abruptly, and glared fiercely into his surprised eyes, "How dare you break my neck to get me out of the way? Is it inconvenient for you that I can tell you and Stefan apart?" Her glare hardened as she hissed, "Good."

Silas tried to interrupt, "Caro-"

Caroline hit him again, this time punching him in his shoulder, "No wonder that bitch left you in a cave to rot!" She punched him again for good measure, her eyes wild with hurt and anger, "I have actually come to care about you, and you claim to love me, but you still hurt me." She wanted to hit him again but she stopped herself, "And what's even worse is that you used Stefan. You had his own brother break his neck so that you could do whatever with your ex."

Silas sat up gingerly, trying to talk to her again, "Caroline..." He laid his hand against her arm.

"Do not touch me again, Silas!" Caroline twisted out of his grasp, pushing him back down with a hand on his chest, leaning in close she snarled, "Or I will break every bone in your body."

Silas smirked, "I may be human now, but I am not powerless." He curled his fingers against his palm, and a pained cry was heard.

Caroline turned to Stefan, who was clutching his temples, a grimace of pain on his face as he cried out. She ran over to him, tears shining in her eyes at him in pain, she cried out, "Stop it!" Stefan dropped to his knees, growls of agony escaping him. She fell beside him, her hands covering Stefan's, she whipped her head around to scream, "STOP IT, SILAS!"

Silas kept a smirk on his face as he continued giving Stefan an aneurysm, taking great pleasure in causing his doppelgänger pain, and at the same time proving a point to Caroline, Damon, and Stefan himself. Just because he was human didn't mean he was weak, far from it in fact, he was still a very powerful witch.

"Please..." Caroline's voice was a cracked plea, her arms wrapped around Stefan's convulsing body, her tears soaking into his hair, his agony tearing her heart apart, as it hurt to see him in so much pain.

Silas lowered his hand, Stefan's cries turning into gasps. He smirked cockily at the vampires in the room, "I believe I have made my point sufficiently." He sauntered over to where Caroline was wrapped around Stefan, he knelt down to whisper in her ear, "I may love you, my sweet, but that doesn't mean I won't hurt those around you if you attempt to kill me before I want you to." He brushed his lips across her temple, "Remember my death brings back your best friend."

Caroline continued to rock Stefan in her arms, "I actually felt sad that you were going to die at one point today." She turned her tear filled angry eyes to Silas, "Not any more." She blinked away her tears, and hissed, "You can rot in hell with your true love. I don't care!"

Stefan could finally open his eyes without wincing in pain. He saw Caroline's tear stained face, he lifted his hand to wipe away the wetness from her cheek, stroking the skin softly, "I'm okay."

"I'm sorry!" Caroline whimpered inaudibly, then without thinking she brought her lips to his and kissed him desperately, her fingers threading through his hair as she explored his mouth.

Stefan kissed her back harshly, his hand at her cheek holding her mouth to his, his other hand roamed her back, growling at the little sighs and moans she let out.

Silas clenched his jaw as he watched Stefan and Caroline make out. He wanted her for himself, but he knew that would never happen, and he wanted her to be happy, and that happiness was with Stefan. But not this Stefan.

Damon stared wide eyed at his brother and Caroline. This was the second time he had caught them making out. Were they together? He was pretty sure that Caroline wouldn't get in to a relationship with Stefan without his memories, as it wasn't fair to the real Stefan if he had no feelings for her, and then he would have to break his best friends heart and possibly ruin their friendship. Though Damon was pretty sure that there were feelings between them, long before Silas got jealous, or whatever, and locked his brother in a safe for months.

Caroline parted from Stefan, panting hard at the breath taking kiss, her heart racing in her chest. She wasn't sure why she kissed him, but at this point she had stopped wondering. There was just something that kept pulling her to him, she couldn't resist him, and that could cause a problem for whenever he got his memories back.

Stefan smiled as their lips parted, his breathing heavy, his body wired with electricity from her touch, his pants too tight. He didn't even wait for permission, he slid his arm under her knees, his other firmly around her back, and effortlessly lifted her up. He ignored everyone else in the room, and took her upstairs to what he remembered to be his own room. He entered, closing the door behind him, and set her back on her feet.

Caroline looked into Stefan's eyes, breathing a sigh of relief that the pain was all gone. She cradled his face between her hands, and asked softly, "Are you sure you're okay? You've never felt an aneurysm before."

"I'm okay." Stefan smiled, and brought his hands up to cover hers, "Really. I'm fine, Caroline."

Caroline looked at him distressed for a moment, her eyes becoming watery again, "I'm so sorry he took it out on you. You didn't deserve that."

"If the other option was he did it to you then I will gladly suffer that pain so that you don't have to." Stefan responded passionately, his eyes piercing her with the depths of emotion in them.

Caroline dropped her head against his, her voice a shaky whisper, "You can't say things like that."

Stefan nuzzled her nose, "Why?"

"Because..." Caroline licked her lips with nervousness, her eyes locked on his, her fingers trembling against his face, "Because it sounds like... it's as if you are... like you've fallen..." She took a shuddering breath, unable to voice the question pounding against her heart.

Stefan finished her question, "...in love with you?"

Caroline held her breath, unable to utter a single word at the look in his eyes.

Stefan ducked his head smiling shyly.

Oh my god... That was all the confirmation Caroline needed, she could read it on his face, see it in his eyes. He was in love with her.

"I think I am..." Stefan's voice was barely even a whisper. He gazed at her in wonder, as if he only just recognized his own feelings, his fingers stroking down her face as he smiled, "I'm in love with you, Caroline."

Caroline released the breath she was holding with a whoosh. The words she never thought she would hear Stefan Salvatore say had just passed his lips. But... it wasn't really Stefan that said it, that felt it, it was a completely different version of him, and she no idea what to say in reply.

Stefan kissed her softly, brushing his thumb against her cheek, a smile on his lips, "You don't have to say anything." He rest his head against hers, his eyes wide and sincere, "I know it's overwhelming."

Caroline swallowed, "I don't want to hurt you." She clutched his shirt in her hand, tightening her fingers around it, "I don't know what I want... or how I feel..." Her eyes became glassy as she stared into his loving green eyes, "...all I know is that I shouldn't feel it about you, and, and I know that's a terrible thing to say, and, god, I don't want to hurt you, Stefan..." A tear slipped unchecked down her cheek.

Stefan pulled her into his arms, wrapping them tight around her back, his face buried in her hair, "Its okay, its okay." He pressed kisses against her hair as he soothed her, "I promise you, I'll always be here for you." He cradled the back of her head, softly stroking his hands through her silken strands, "No matter what."

Caroline choked out a laugh at the similarity to the moment in the bathroom when she first turned. She shook her head against him, and couldn't help but say, "You have to stop making me promises."

"I know I don't remember the other ones I made you, but I can guarantee you that I will keep this one." Stefan bent his head down to look in her eyes, "Okay?"

Caroline nodded her head against his, too overwhelmed by feelings to even know what to say.

Stefan stroked his hand against her hair, smiled at her dreamily, and huskily whispered, "How about we sleep on it tonight?"

Caroline raised her eyebrow, scolding him laughingly, "I'm not sleeping with you!"

"Please..." Stefan pouted, batting his eyelashes at her, delighting when she laughed, her face brightening, rivalling the sun, "I just want to hold you, that's all, please, Caroline."

"Fine!" Caroline rolled her eyes. She pushed away from Stefan, went to his drawers and picked out a t shirt and boxers to wear. She went to the bathroom, and quickly changed. Coming back out she noticed that Stefan had also undressed.

Stefan couldn't help but smile at the sight of her in his clothes, it was alluring and made his heart race, but he calmed himself. She wasn't ready. He lifted the covers in invitation.

Caroline made her way to the bed, and slipped in beside him. She laid straight on her back, posture slightly stiff, unsure how, or even if, she should move closer to him.

Stefan made the decision for her. He rolled onto his side, placed his arm around her waist, and pulled her to him, spooning in behind her. He placed his head on the pillow next to her, his face nuzzling her hair, his fingers splayed across her stomach, rubbing circles into her clothed skin. He breathed in her glorious scent with every breath, and felt a peace wash over him. He kissed her through her hair, and whispered, "Goodnight, Caroline."

"Goodnight, Stefan." Caroline's voice was also a whisper, Stefan's body wrapped around her made her feel secure in a way no one else ever had. She didn't want to get used to it, but her hand still covered his arm to snuggle herself even closer to him. She would allow herself that night to be near to Stefan, and to allow the feelings coursing through her veins to settle within her. Just before sleep claimed her, a realisation came to her.

She did know what she felt for Stefan.

And it terrified her.

Damon was sat on the couch, a glass of blood in his hands, as he enjoyed the only bit of silence and alone time he'd had in what felt like days.

Silas chose that moment to burst through the door, "Greetings!"

Damon banged the back of his head against the headrest and sighed, "Well that lasted long."

"Good morning, frenemies!" Silas entered further into the room, waving his hands to pull the curtains back using magic.

Damon just raised his eyebrow at Silas.

"Ah." Silas smiled, "You know, I'm only a few hours into my old life as a witch, but somehow, the sun feels warmer." He walked over to the window, and lets the sun hit his face, "Probably because I'm not cursed with having to outlive it any more."

"What's with the home invasion, Silas?" Damon asked, wanting to know what he was doing here, after their not so successful plan last night. Silas got dessicated, Damon fed him the cure, Katherine somehow still lived, Silas then witchied Stefan, and probably made Caroline hate him. Not exactly a winner.

Silas smirked at Damon, his eyes glowing with satisfaction, "Well Damon, after two thousand years of a miserable existence, I finally get to die."4 "How do you figure that?" Damon eyes widened, shrugging his shoulders, "Tessa dessicated your ass, and all my breaking of my brother's neck was for nothing, because we didn't get what we wanted from her."

"When did I say that?" Silas tilted his head, "Oh, right! Did you suddenly learn to read minds while I was dessicated for a few hours." He narrowed his eyes, and sneered, "I didn't think so."

"Wait!" Damon sat forward, his eyes narrowed as he asked, "Are you saying that you did get what you needed from her before she got you."

"Yes, Damon, I did." Silas smiled serenely, "After two thousand years I can finally be reunited with Amara." He wiggled his eyebrows, "But first, I'm going to go see my other girl."

"I'm pretty sure she never wants to see you again." Damon smirked, chuckling under his breath, "You did hurt her kinda boyfriend, after all. But by all means, give it a shot." He raised his glass to Silas, "Good luck. You're gonna need it."

Silas made his way up the stairs to find Caroline.

Damon just chuckled into his glass, and kept his ears open so he could hear every word.

Caroline snuggled into the chest she was lying against, the hand trailing up and down her back made her moan, "That's good."

"Morning, beautiful." Stefan's voice sounded amused.

"Morning." Caroline lifted her head to smile at Stefan briefly before going back to her previous position. Her eyes widened as she jumped away from him, almost falling off the bed to get away from him, "Silas! What the hell are you doing?" Her eyes widened in panic and she asked fearfully, "What have you done with Stefan?"

"Relax." Silas rolled his eyes, putting his arms underneath his head, a smile curling his lips as he looked at Caroline's adorable sleepy angry face, "He's in the shower."

Caroline pushed her hair behind her ear to listen, only relaxing once she heard Stefan humming underneath his breath. Finally able to breathe properly again, she smacked Silas across the chest, "Ass! What do you think you're doing in my bed after what you did last night?"

"Technically, it's Stefan's bed." Silas smirked, chuckling as Caroline hit him in the chest again.

Silas rolled to his side, "I'm sorry I had to make a point using Stefan. Can't have anyone thinking I'm weak now that I'm human."

Caroline crossed her arms over her chest, and scowled at him, "I was upset that you were going to die soon. I was upset that you were dessicated." You jumped up in agitation, and ran her fingers through her hair, "Do you know what that means? It means that I like you, Silas! Despite everything you've done a part of me cared about you." She shook her head in disbelief, tears in her eyes, her voice full of hurt, "And how do you repay that entirely unearned friendship? You hurt me! You hurt the man I-" She cut herself off, swallowing the almost revealed truth, "The man I care about."

Silas almost smirked at the words he knew Caroline was about to say. He needed to make peace with her, today he could die, and he didn't want hate to be the last emotion she felt for him. He got off the bed, walking over to her, and placed his hands on her tensed shoulders, "I am sorry that I hurt you. I love you, and the last thing I want is you to hate me." He smiled, raising his eyebrows at her, "No matter how warranted it may be."

"Totally warranted." Caroline glared back, though her stance had softened somewhat.

Silas absent mindedly massaged his thumbs into her shoulders, "Today is potentially my last day alive, and I don't want to spend it with you hating me, Caroline." He ran his hands to cup her jaw, looking into her blue eyes, and couldn't hide his sigh of relief that the harshness in them was gone, "I just want to say goodbye to the woman I never thought I'd fall in love with, and whom I became besotted with against my will, with good feelings between us."

Caroline stared at Silas for a minute, before loosening her stance, crossing the distance between them, and wrapping her arms around him, "Goodbye, Silas."

Silas smiled into her hair, his own hold tight around her, "It is not quite the time, lovely girl." He breathed in that vanilla scent of hers, savouring the feel of her in his arms, "But thank you, anyway."

Stefan chose that moment to walk out of the bathroom, a towel wrapped around his waist, another he was running through his wet hair. He froze at the sight in front of him, his jaw clenching in anger to see Silas's hands on Caroline's body, "What are you doing here?"

"Today is the day I die." Silas smiled brightly at Stefan, releasing Caroline from his hold and facing his shadow self, "And I need a favour from you."

"What favour can you possibly think I will ever do for you?" Stefan crossed the room to stand beside Caroline protectively, ready to attack at any sign that Silas would hurt her.

"I need you to distract Tessa while I retrieve the anchor." Silas replied, almost chuckling at Stefan's protective perch next to Caroline, and her avoidance of looking at him in a towel.

Caroline kept her gaze firmly on Silas, cursing Stefan for not taking clothes into the bathroom with him, "Why do you need to distract her?"

"Because if she figures out I'm alive and on my way to it she will try to stop me." Silas narrowed his eyes, and almost growled, "And I'd rather not have that happen."

"I'll go with you then, Stefan." Caroline offered, not wanting Stefan near the witch that stole his memories.

"I wouldn't if I was you." Silas cautioned, knowing that if Caroline and Tessa were in the same room the end results would be blood and death.

Caroline crossed her arms over her chest in annoyance, "And why exactly is that?"

"Because Tessa will try to kill you." Silas eyes were serious, his tone low and gravelly. He would not let his vindictive ex hurt Caroline. Not while he was still alive at least.

"Why?!" Caroline's voice was incredulous, wondering why she would have any possible reason to her, "I've never even met her!" She frowned, "Except, that if she took Stefan that day when I found him, she must have been the one to break my neck. Why would she possibly want to kill me? It doesn't make sense."

"Trust me, it does to her." Silas couldn't say too much without telling Caroline about her being a doppelgänger, and he would like to keep her in the dark for a little while longer.

"Whatever!" Caroline waved her hand in the air, dismissing whatever imaginary conflict existed between her and a witch that's been dead for two thousand years, "Okay, I'll stay away from Tessa."

"Thank you!" Silas breathed a sigh of relief, until he caught the glint in Caroline's eyes, and he knew what she was about to ask him.

"I'm coming with you to find this mystical anchor." Caroline pushed her finger into Silas' chest before he could protest, and hissed at him, "May I remind you that you are still in the doghouse, buddy, so don't even think about doing this without me."

"Yes, ma'am." Silas smirked.

"I'm glad that's settled." Caroline grinned, then spun around to head to the bathroom, "My turn to have a shower." She closed the door behind her.

Stefan glared at Silas in anger, "Hurt her, and I will kill you."

Silas chuckled, "She's perfectly safe with me, Stefan." His eyes turned serious as he once again warned Stefan, "Just keep that bitch away from Caroline. I mean it, Stefan, she will kill her if she sees her."

Stefan could see that Silas was serious, so he nodded his head and promised, "She won't get the chance to hurt her."

The cabin in the woods

Stefan knocked on the door, and awaited to see if Tessa would answer.

Tessa answered the door, she stared at Stefan with narrowed eyes before determining it was him and not Silas. She tried to hide her eagerness at seeing him again so soon, "What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to see if you alright after what happened last night." Stefan smiled, and lied to her face, "I saw what you did to Silas. You are finally rid of him."

"Not quite, he's not dead yet." Tessa moved to the side to let Stefan in, "Do you want to come in?"

Stefan noticed the hope in her voice, and swallowed back his distrust of her to smile pleasantly at her, "I'd love to." He walked inside, he hoped whatever Damon, Silas, Caroline, and Jeremy were doing wouldn't take too long. He could only distract her for so long.

Tessa smiled genuinely as Stefan entered. She was pleased that he seemed to want to spend more time with her.

On the road to New Jersey

"So where exactly is it being kept?" Damon asked from his position behind the wheel of his car.

"In a stockyard, and they are preparing to ship it out, so..." Silas smirked from next to Damon, "You better get a move on, Damon."

Damon clenched his jaw, and lowered his foot more on the accelerator, driving faster to their destination.

"So you will just swap your life for Bonnie's, no problem?" Caroline asked from the back seat, she wanted to be sure that he would do what he said he would.

"Yep!" Silas looked behind him at Caroline, "I die, cast a spell, and your witch is brought back in my place. A life for a life."

"That's it?" Caroline asked sceptical.

"Nature is all about balance, Caroline." Silas explained, "To give life you must take it, and vice versa."

Caroline nodded, accepting Silas' answer. Next she asked, "What exactly does this anchor look like."

"Oh, I have no idea." Silas answered cheerfully.

"Great!" Damon shook his head, "I knew there must be a catch in there somewhere."

Jeremy lifted his crossbow at Silas, "And why don't I just kill you now like every muscle in my body wants to."

"Good question." Damon chuckled, almost sighing in relief when he saw the sign indicating there destination wasn't too much further.

"You know, guys, I'm feeling really ganged up on right now. K? I would hate to lose my temper and do something..."Silas raised his hand up, and fire shoots from his fingers, "...crazy."

Damon almost swerves the car, so he glared at Silas, "Can you not do that in my car?"

Caroline rolled her eyes, "You are such an ass."

"Ah. Man, I really love being a witch again. I feel like I'm constantly reinventing myself. I'm like a supernatural Madonna, don't you think?" Silas chuckled at his own wit.

"God, would you get there already before I kill myself." Jeremy grumbled, putting the crossbow back down on his lap.

The cabin in the woods

Stefan had been with Tessa for several hours now, and he was getting anxious. He wanted to know if they were there yet, or if they'd found it, or most importantly, how was Caroline. He missed her.

"Won't your friends wonder where you are?" Tessa asked, having been drinking with Stefan several hours, and she felt relaxed with him. She was in love with the monster that wore his face, and she couldn't help but want to feel same love for Stefan, the good version of Silas.

"They are not the boss of me." Stefan shared a flirtatious smile with Tessa, feeling uncomfortable with it, but doing it so Caroline remains safe, "I can do what I want, with whomever I want."

Tessa bit her lip, a pleased flush on her cheeks.

Stefan swallowed down the alcohol, and thought, hurry up!

A Warehouse in New Jersey

Silas, Damon, Jeremy, and Caroline all get out of the car. The journey had been a long one with the constant sniping between Silas and Damon, and Jeremy and Silas. Caroline was ready to kill them all. It had been a very long day.

"Barbie, you stay out here and keep a lookout for anyone that wants to get in our way." Damon ordered Caroline before he and Jeremy entered the warehouse.

"FYI, Travelors will be chanting at you." Silas offered, shrugging his shoulders, "If that's any help." He winked at her before he too entered the warehouse behind Damon and Jeremy.

Caroline shook her head in exasperation, "Yeah tons of help. Ass."

Inside, they all split up, smashing every box they could get their hands on. Jeremy was taking out some of his pent up aggression on everything he could get his hands on. He hated working with Silas, but if he could bring Bonnie back he would find a way to deal with it.

Damon was searching in another part when he came across some travelors. He fought them, easily killing them. He sent a message to Stefan about their progress, and continued his search for something he had no idea what it actually was.

Silas was opening, and breaking everything he could get his hands on. He was determined to find the anchor if it killed him, with his last breath he would destroy that anchor and finally be reunited with his love.

The cabin in the woods

Stefan was searching for his cell, he could have sworn he heard it go off, but he couldn't find it anywhere.

"Looking for this?" Tessa holds up the cell, a look of rage on her face, and read the text that he had received from Damon, "Silas and I are at the warehouse. Keep her occupied."

Stefan swallowed at the look of betrayal on Tessa's face.

"You are both manipulative lying bastards." Tessa threw the cell across the room in anger, tears in her eyes, as anger raged in her heart, "And I fell for it." She laughed brokenly, "That's my curse. I will always fall for that face."

Stefan stood up, and held his palms out trying to placate her, "Tessa, I'm sorry-"

"No. I'm the one that's sorry." Tessa grabbed the sides of Stefan's face, glaring into his startled eyes, "I made it easy for you when I took your memories. I made you forget the pain." She smirked, her gaze turning vindictive, "Let me rectify that mistake." She closed her eyes, and began to shout.

Stefan's eyes clenched shut as he screamed in agony.

The warehouse

Silas saw a very large crate, almost as tall as him. He walked over and began prying it open. He finally opened the crate and pulled out straw that he threw on the floor, revealing who is in the crate. He stared in amazement, whispering, "Amara..."

Amara is a stone statue standing upright, just as Silas once was.

Silas smiled, "You're still alive."

Silas went off to find something to revive his love. He found a Traveler that Damon had not quite killed, he dragged him over to her, cutting his wrist and feeding Amara his blood.

Amara skin loses the stone as the blood flowed through her, she raised her now completely flesh arm, holding the hand against her mouth as she continues to feed.

Silas strokes her hair, "Amara, it's me."

Amara opened her eyes for the first time in two thousand years, seeing the face of her one true love once again. She smiled at him.

After waking Amara, Silas was helping her out of the warehouse. His arm was around her waist holding her weight, as he half carried her, "You're okay."

Amara twitched in his hold, her glazed eyes staring at seemingly nothing, a hushed whisper leaving her lips, "Go away!"

Silas furrowed his brow at the empty space surrounding them, "Who are you talking to?" He grabbed her arms, and turned her around to face him, "Amara, it's me, it's Silas."

Amara stopped struggling and gazed at him in shock, "Silas."

Silas nodded, his hands loosening on her arms to stroke her skin, "It's me."

"How is this possible? Silas, how are you here? After all this time..." Amara leans against a dumpster.

"I thought you were dead." Silas couldn't believe that Amara stood before him alive, he thought she was dead this whole time, "Tessa said she killed you. She held your heart in her hands."

"She lied." Amara shook her head, her voice dripping with disgust, "She couldn't kill me. There was only one cure. She wanted it for you."

Silas cradled her beautiful face in his hands, his eyes apologetic, "I took it. I'm sorry." He stroked his thumbs along her cheeks, "I wanted to be with you. I wanted to be at peace with you."

Amara's eyes widened, her eyes perking up as she asked, "The cure runs in your veins."

"I was ready to die for you." Silas felt tears in his eyes, his forehead against hers.

Amara hugs him close to her, while she sneakily grabbed a piece of broken glass from the dumpster. Tears filled her eyes as she raised her hand with the glass up behind Silas' back, "I love you, Silas. I'm so sorry." She stabbed the glass in his neck, "I have to be cured." She feeds on Silas, drinking the cure from his blood, then she pulled away, "I can't live another day."

Caroline heard a crash from nearby. She walked over tentatively, on alert for anything. She heard a body drop to the ground. She vamped toward the sound, and stared in shock,

Silas' body was lying on the ground, a wound on his neck, blood pooling on the ground from it.

But that wasn't the most shocking thing. What shocked her the most, and froze her to the spot was the face that she was staring at a complete replica of her own face, blood smearing the mouth.

Amara looked at Caroline, her exact copy, and screamed at the top of her lungs.

TBC

AN – Another long one! I hope you all enjoyed it! Caroline finally meets Amara, and she will find out that she is a doppelgänger. And what has Tessa done to Stefan ;)