A/N: Happy New Year! I know, five months later. I had so much craziness going on in my personal, that I had to take a step back. But this story has always been on my mind. I have considered finishing it then posting but this chapter has been semi done for months.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters and yada yada yada.

Enjoy!

Chapter Nine – Accepted

"Welcome to Duke, Home of the Blue Devils! I'm April, your welcome wagon. What dorm?"

"Blackwell?" Caroline replied in the form of a question. She knew what dorm she was assigned but the chipperness of the small girl caught her off guard.

"Super! What you're going to do is just walk up this path and it is just beyond that parking lot. Here are your welcome packets which includes a map of the campus; a pennant, Go Devils!; and here is a rape whistle. Now don't use that unless you're being raped, wouldn't want any false alarms." She giggled. "This is the first day of the most awesome year ever. Go freshmen!"

Caroline and Bonnie stood in place, folders in hand and whistle hanging from their mouths. A hand clasped on each of their shoulders as Bonnie's dad leaned down between the girls and whispered.

"Come on guys, we don't want her to come back with a sweatshirt this time." He chuckled and gave them a little push.

Finally the day arrived and the girls were moving into their dorms. Neither one of them talked about the day that Caroline found out she was pregnant. Caroline figured the best way to handle it would be out of sight, out of mind. She looked down at the room assignment in her hand and led the way for both sets of parents and Bonnie. Between all of them, they carried up all of their luggage.

"Room 223." Taking the key from her hand, her dad opened the door all grand and walked in like he was Vanna White. Everyone managed their way into the room and Caroline placed her bag by one of the loft style beds before falling back on it.

"I claim this one." She said as she moved her arms and legs in the snow angel motion. It didn't take long to get everything in the room. There were hugs and tears and promises of trips home and calls. The parents left the girls in their new home for the next year at least.

Bonnie sat cross-legged on her bed and stared at Caroline from across the room. Just as she opened her mouth to speak, their door swung open.

"Hey Bitches!" Kat yelled into the room. Caroline jumped up and hugged her tightly. She went over and gave Bonnie a few air kisses as well.

"Not that it's not awesome to see you, but how did you know which room was ours?" Bonnie asked, never leaving her place on the bed.

"Blondie over here texted me the number," she pointed her thumb to Caroline. "Plus, I wanted to take you guys out for lunch. There is this great pub place that doesn't card, like ever." She picked up a pillow from Caroline's bed and tossed it up in the air, catching it.

"That sounds good. I'm starving anyway." Caroline answered, grabbing her purse and keys. Bonnie stayed in her spot and Caroline eyed her questioningly.

"Caroline, I don't think that is such a good idea." Bonnie said.

"Why not? This place is such a great hang out and I know a lot of people are probably going to be there you could meet." Kat interjected with a whine.

Bonnie and Caroline were in a stare off. Caroline knew why Bonnie didn't want to go but that was something she didn't want to deal with. She wanted to be the normal college freshmen and that meant going out to bars.

"I'm going. You can stay here if you want. Let's go Kat." With that final word, Caroline turned toward the door and left behind Katherine. She didn't turn to see if Bonnie was following because part of her wanted Bonnie to stay there if she was going to bring up the B-A-B-Y.

In no time the blondes were walking inside the semi-crowded bar. People were seated around round tables and the lighting was dim. Waitresses wafted from table to table, glasses balanced carefully on serving trays. Caroline smiled at the atmosphere. This was what she expected college to be like. She could see herself taking a booth in the winter time and studying with friends as they shared a basket of fries.

Caroline was smacked out of her daydream by Kat pulling her to a table already with a few people sitting at it. She made introductions and Caroline recognized some of the faces as people she met a few weeks prior. Everyone at the table fell into quick conversation and even shared a basket of fries. Things couldn't be any better for Caroline. That is until Caroline turned toward the door for a brief second and saw the last person she expected ever to see again.

~BoB~

It felt good to be on campus again, Stefan thought. He made a lot of money working for his uncle over the summer, he even went out on a date last night with a girl that didn't want to make him gouge his eyes out. He thought that it was a sign that this semester was going to be better than the last.

Scott and Matt took Stefan to the Fishbowl, one of the only places around campus that was light with the carding. Didn't really matter to Stefan though, because he's had a fake since he turned sixteen that Damon had scored for them back in high school. The places was filled as usual and Stefan said hi to a few people he knew. He smiled at some of the sorority girls who would come watch the guys on the team practice.

Matt spotted Katherine and he dragged the other two toward their table. There were already a bunch of people sitting there so the guys grabbed a couple of seats and brought it over and sat where there was space. Stefan ended up wedged between Scott and one of Katherine's sorority sisters. Pleasantries were made and a new round of drinks were ordered. Sipping on his beer, Stefan looked around the table, most of the people he had met or met in passing; except one. The one that was currently avoiding any eye contact with him. Her hair was blonde, no golden and she kept fidgeting with it. She was gorgeous and not in the usual hot co-ed way. She reminded him of a movie star from old days. Probably would have given Marilyn Monroe a run for her money.

Stefan wanted to get a better look at this girl. He felt drawn to her or maybe it was just curiosity nagging at him. Either way, he asked to trade seats with the girl that was sitting next to the blonde. Scott gave him a 'What the fuck' look that Stefan just shrugged off before turning to his new neighbor, who was using her hair as some sort of shield from him.

"Freshman?" Stefan asked. No answer but more hair pulling. This didn't deter Stefan though.

"I said, are you a freshman?" He asked again but this time he took her hand from her hair and she quickly turned around to face him; just like he hoped.

If she wasn't the most beautiful woman he had ever seen before, her face would have made him laugh, hard. She looked like a deer caught in headlights when she turned to him. He quickly dropped her hand and she brought it back to her like she had been burned.

"Are you a foreign exchange student? Do you read lips?"

Her head turned quickly to Stefan's with shock across her face. Another face flashed into his head. Pouty lips swollen from kissing, hair splayed across his pillow, his fingers digging into it. It felt like Stefan was just smacked in the face with the memories of that drunken night those weeks ago.

"It's you!" He yelled under her breath. The girl looked horrified but recognition had clearly registered on her face. She dug in her pocket and threw down a few bills and a rush goodbye before bolting out the door. It took Stefan a few beats to realize what happened before he quickly followed in pursuit of his one night stand.

Once he was out of the dive, he looked to his left and saw the blonde head quickly walking down the street. Stefan jogged to catch up with her.

"Hey! Where are you going? Stop!" He caught up and placed his hand on her shoulder to stop her. She whirled around so fast, Stefan got slapped with a face full of hair.

"What do you want?" She sounded exasperated and looked equally annoyed. Stefan couldn't figure out why, but her face made him laugh as he was spitting out blonde strands from his mouth. He doubted laughing in her face would keep her there but it was hard to contain. The ONS huffed and turned to walk away from him. That sobered him up and he reached for her again.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to laugh, it was just your face…We've, you know, right?" A few emotions went across the beauty's face but once anger settled on it, Stefan knew he had to back up before he made this any worse.

"Nothing I'm saying is coming out right. Can we start over?" he pleaded.

"Start over. How far you want to go back? To the beginning of this conversation or to when we had sex in a frat house? Which would you prefer?" Her arms crossed over her chest. Stefan couldn't help that his eyes traveled down for a glance. Had she always had so much?

"I deserve that. But I mean over from the beginning. Like, what's your name and maybe can I get your number?" He gave her the smile that Elena always said could melt the panties off of any girl.

This girl looked like she would set Stefan on fire with just a stare, but there was something else. Was it intrigue? He hoped. The seconds trickled on felt like an eternity. He was about to say forget it when her lips started to move.

"Caroline. My number? If you want that bad enough you'll have to find a way to get it yourself." And with those few words, Caroline turned her back and scurried away.

Oh sweet Caroline…

A/N: Thanks for reading! I will try and be better about writing and updating because I really do love all your feedback you gave for this story!