Shiloh and Elena still weren't on the best terms, but here they were, decorating Caroline's locker. The silence was awkward beyond belief, but Shiloh would do anything for her sister. "Hey, sorry I'm late, I… I got held up." Bonnie said, rushing over to the locker.
"Bonnie!' Shiloh said relieved, pulling the other girl into a hug.
"Uh... good to see you too, Shy." Bonnie said.
"What got you running late?" Elena asked, grabbing another balloon.
"I was... working on some new spells." Bonnie said.
"So, I have something I need to tell you, and you're not gonna like it." Elena said.
"What happened?" Bonnie asked.
"Jeremy is gonna be leaving town for a while. He'll be staying with some old family friends in Denver, until this whole Klaus thing blows over." Elena said.
"Jeremy wouldn't just leave you to deal with Klaus on your own." Bonnie said.
"I compelled him." Shiloh said softly.
"You what?" Bonnie asked.
"I told her too." Elena said. It's not safe for him here anymore. Leaving will give him a better life. The only reason I'm telling you is because I know that you two haven't really worked out your stuff. And I thought that maybe you'd wanna say goodbye." Bonnie's jaw tightened as she looked over at Jeremy.
"Bon, this is for the better. You'll see." Shiloh said.
"Happy birthday!" Matt called as he, Shiloh, Bonnie, Elena, and Lexi jumped out, all holding balloons.
"What are you guys doing here?" Caroline asked surprised.
"Well you blew off school and missed our work of birthday art, so..." Elena said.
"Change into warmer clothes, we are going to the Falls. S'mores, camp fire.." Bonnie said.
"And cake! Like when we were little." Shiloh added.
"Except for the tequila!" Matt sang.
"Thanks, guys. Really, I'm just not feeling my birthday this year." Caroline said.
"I'm sorry, what? You've already claimed your birthday as everyone's favorite day of the year." Bonnie said.
"Yeah, and now, it's just a reminder that technically, I'm dead. Look, I didn't even like 17. And the only point to being 17 is to get to 18. It's a filler year; I'm stuck in a filler year." Caroline said.
"Care, I'm kinda stuck too. And I still want cake and tequila on my birthdays." Shiloh said.
"I just need some time to wallow in it." Caroline said.
"Okay, well I think I have another idea." Elena said.
The group entered the Salvator crypt single file. "There it is!" Elena announced.
"This is creepy, even for us." Bonnie said.
"I think it's kinda cool." Shiloh said, looking around.
"Caroline was right... technically, she's dead. Sorry. But you don't need a birthday, you need a funeral. You need to say goodbye to your old life, so that you can move on with your new one." Elena said.
"Okay. Here lies Caroline Forbs-" Caroline began, playing along.
"-Cheerleader, Miss Mystic Falls, third grade hopscotch champion..." Elena added, sticking candles into Caroline's birthday cake.
"...friend, daughter, overachiever..." Bonnie added.
"...Mean girl, sometimes, no offense." Matt said.
"Ah, none taken." Caroline said.
"... And the most controlling sister ever." Shiloh finished.
"She was 17, and she had a really good life. So rest in peace, so that she can move forward. That's what you really need. What we all really need. Amen, or cheers or whatever. Bonnie?" Elena said. The candles suddenly flared up. "Nice! Okay, make a wish." Caroline closed her eyes and blew out the candles. The group quickly dug into the cake while Matt opened the bottle of tequila and took a swing before passing it around.
"This was a good idea, Elena." Shiloh said.
"Thanks." Elena smiled.
"Alright, alright. We all agree this was a good idea. Now, let's get loaded." Matt said.
Elena grabbed the bottle from Matt and drank. "Ah-ah. I need it more than you do, trust me. Caroline, what are you doing?" Elena asked. Caroline suddenly looked up surprised.
"What? Nothing." Caroline lied.
"Well that wasn't very convincing." Shiloh said.
"I might have texted Tyler." Caroline said.
"Caroline..." Elena started.
"What? I'm delicate." Caroline defended herself.
"Give her a break! You can't control what everyone does all the time." Bonnie snapped.
"Wow." Shiloh said.
"Ouch, Bon." Matt said.
"Sorry, I know it's Caroline birthday, funeral or whatever but, I just feel it's really wrong that you compelled Jeremy to leave town." Bonnie said.
"I'm doing it to protect him, Bonnie. I want to give him a chance to have a quiet normal life." Elena said.
"He should be able to choose how he wants to live it, you're taking his choices away." Bonnie said.
"If you're gonna be mad at anyone, be mad at me. I was the one that compelled him." Shiloh cut in.
"You know, you guys are ruining a perfect funeral." Matt said.
"I'm sorry. I'm just gonna go sleep it off or something." Bonnie said. "Happy birthday." Bonnie stormed off.
"I'll go after here." Shiloh said.
"Maybe you shouldn't." Elena said.
"No, Bonnie deserves an explanation from me, I'm the one that did it and I have to take responsiblity for my actions." Shiloh said.
"Shiloh-"
"I'm gonna go." Shiloh cut her off, following after Bonnie.
When it became apparent that Bonnie wasn't at her house, Shiloh checked The Grill next and found Bonnie sitting in a booth alone. "Hey." Shiloh greeted, sliding into a the seat across from Bonnie. "Can we talk?"
"I'm sorry I snapped." Bonnie sighed.
"No, you have ever right to be mad, but Bonnie... this is for the better." Shiloh said. "Jeremy is in danger."
"We're all in danger." Bonnie said.
"But we can defend ourselves. You're a witch, I'm a vampire." Shiloh said in a low voice, glancing around.
"Elena's not. Or Alaric." Bonnie said.
"Ric is a hunter and Elena is always in danger, she needs to be watched. Plus Jeremy is just gonna be used against us." Shiloh said.
"It's wrong and you know it." Bonnie said.
"I know. But it's for his own safety." Shiloh said.
"He'd be safer with us. We can't protect him if he isn't here." Bonnie argued.
"He won't need protecting without us." Shiloh said. Shiloh let out a sigh, Bonnie's silence spoke for her. "You should say goodbye."
"He didn't even tell me." Bonnie said.
"Maybe he thinks you won't care." Shiloh said. Her phone cut the conversation short, alerting her to a phone call. "Hello?" Shiloh answered her phone.
"Shiloh, where are you?" Matt's voice same through the other side of the phone with a tone of urgency.
"I'm at The Grill. Matt what's-" Shiloh began.
"I'm almost there, come out to the parking lot." The phone clicked, ending the call.
"Bonnie, I gotta go. Talk to Jeremy." Shiloh said as she lifted herself from the booth.
"What's going on? Is everything okay?" Bonnie asked.
"He didn't say. I'll let you know if we need you?" Shiloh said.
"Of course." Bonnie said.
"Oh, and Bonnie... I'm sorry." Shiloh said, then left The Grill. Matt's truck pulled into the parking lot and Shiloh ran at her fastest human pace to the passenger's side, freezing once she reached it. "Care?" Shiloh asked.
"Get in." Matt said.
As soon as the truck was parked, Shiloh grabbed her sister, lifting the other blonde with ease and carrying her into the house, Matt at her side. "Sheriff Forbes!" Matt called.
"Mom!" Shiloh cried.
"What happened?" Liz asked, worry filling her eyes as soon as they fell upon Caroline.
"Tyler bit her." Matt said.
"Oh my god, sweetheart." Liz said "Oh, honey. Caroline, honey, can you hear me?"
"I'm sorry, Mom." Caroline mumbled. Shiloh brought her Caroline to her room and gently lay her on the bed, brushing her hair back from her face.
"She keeps hallucinating or something, I don't know. No one's picking up their phone." Matt said.
"It's alright, sweetheart." Liz said, sitting on the other side of the bed.
"Mom." Shiloh said.
"It's alright, everythings gonna be alright." Liz assured her daughter. Shiloh nodded, tears threatening to fall from her eyes. A knock on the door alerted three of the blondes, though Caroline didn't seem to hear it.
"I'll get it." Matt said.
"Thanks, Matty." Shiloh said solemnly. Matt nodded, then left to answer the door.
"Mom, I think it's Klaus." Shiloh said after a second.
"Don't worry honey, I'll go take care of it. Stay with your sister." Liz said. Shiloh nodded.
"Shy?" Caroline groaned when Liz left the room.
"I'm right here, Care." Shiloh said, taking Caroline's hand.
"I don't wanna be alone, Shy. Please don't leave me." Caroline pleaded.
"I'm not going anywhere." Shiloh promised, the tears finally breaking free.
"I'm scared." Caroline said.
"I know. I'm here. I'm always here. Everythings gonna be okay." Shiloh cried, brushing the hair from Caroline's face. She couldn't admit she was attempting to convince herself just as much as Caroline.
"Are you going to kill me?" Caroline asked.
"What?" Shiloh asked confused.
"I believe she's talking to me, love." Shiloh turned to face the doorway where Klaus was standing. "On your birthday? You really think that low of me?" Klaus asked Caroline.
"Yes." Caroline answered honestly. Klaus ignored the answer, examing the bite.
"That looks bad. My apologies, you're whats known as collateral damage, it's nothing personal." Klaus said. "I love birthdays." Klaus said.
"Klaus, please." Shiloh begged.
"Please? The last time you were pleading for the cure, it was your lover's life you wished to save. Are you sure you're willing to pay the price. After Stefan..." Klaus said.
"I'll do anything, Klaus. Just, please... Save my sister." Shiloh said. Klaus sat next to Shiloh on the bed, glancing at Caroline before focusing on Shiloh.
"You have such compassion." Klaus said. "You care for your sister, your friends. You protect. You are genuinely a kind person. You have an innocent beauty, so rare for this world. Truth be told, I'd hate for that to be taken from you, Shiloh. The only thing you have to do for your sister's life, is ask."
"Klaus... Please, save my sister. Please." Shiloh said. Klaus nodded, biting his wrist while he supported Caroline with his other arm, keeping her head up. He placed his wrist to her mouth.
"There you go, sweetheart. Have at it." Klaus said, allowing Caroline to bite his wrist. "Happy birthday Caroline." Caroline drank her fill before falling back onto the bed, her eyes closed.
"Care?" Shiloh asked worried.
"She's resting. She'll be healed when she awakens." Klaus said. Shiloh let out a sigh, whipping the tears from her cheeks. "I think it's time I be leaving." Klaus said. Shiloh looked up, catching his eye. For a moment they were silent, neither moving.
"Thank you." Shiloh finally said.
"You're quite welcome, love." Klaus replied, standing.
"But," The older vampire paused and looked back at Shiloh. "From now on, stay the hell away from my sister."
"For your sake, I'll consider that a hopeful request." Klaus said lightly, then turned more serious. "As for now, your sister shall come to no harm from me." Klaus said, then took his leave. When he was gone, Liz and Matt rushed back into Caroline's room, both worried about the two vampires.
"What happened? Is she okay?" Liz asked frantically.
"Yeah, Klaus healed her." Shiloh confirmed.
"Thank god." Liz breathed.
"What did it cost you?" Matt asked.
"Nothing... he didn't want anything." Shiloh said.
"It's Klaus, of course he wanted something." Matt said.
"Whatever it is, I don't care. Caroline's gonna live. That's all that matters right now." Shiloh said.
"Yeah... I guess you're right." Matt said.
"Sorry I wasn't here." Lexi apologized. She was standing with Shiloh on the Forbs' front porch.
"You didn't know." Shiloh shook her head.
"Still, I know I haven't been around lately." Lexi said.
"Lex, don't worry about it. It's been kinda crazy for everyone lately, especially Stefan. I get that you kinda have your hands full." Shiloh said.
"I think I'm making progress." Lexi said.
"Good. We need Stefan back." Shiloh said.
"Yeah." Lexi agreed. The two were silent for a moment before Lexi spoke up again. "I still can't believe Klaus didn't want something. It doesn't seem like he's the kinda guy that does stuff out of the kindness of his heart."
"Yeah. I'd rather not think about it right now." Shiloh said.
"Right, happy thoughts." Lexi said. Silence fell again between the girls. "How do you think Damon's gonna react?" Lexi asked.
"Seriously, Lexi?" Shiloh said.
"Right, sorry. Happy." Lexi nodded.
"Caroline's alive." Shiloh said.
"That's happy." Lexi smiled.
"It is." Shiloh agreed.
"And right now, we're celebrating." Lexi grinned.
"Shouldn't we stay here?" Shiloh asked.
"Caroline's fine. She's gonna stay that way. Now come on." Lexi insisted.
"Fine, fine. One drink." Shiloh grinned, following after Lexi.