CHAPTER XI
He left, and I broke apart.
June
She did not even know how she had managed to pass her exams. It probably had been thanks to Marien, always there for her to help her study even though her mind was distracted most of the time.
Caroline looked down at her hand, watching the ring on her finger. She had not been capable to remove it. She kept it with her everywhere.
"Earth to Caroline" Alex said, sitting beside her on the bench of the porch.
She looked up, startled. Her friend was watching her carefully, clearly worried.
"Are you okay?" she asked. "Have you heard from Stefan?"
"Uh, yeah" Caroline said, placing a lock of her hair behind her ear. "He called me last night" she lied. "He's still in New York."
Alex nodded slowly, looking at Caroline from the corner of her eye. Caroline brought the cup of coffee to her lips, trying to hide her discomfort and sadness. She had not been able to tell the truth to Alex either. She felt that if she said it aloud, Stefan leaving her would become even more real. She was not ready to tell the world.
"It's Anna's birthday this weekend, and I was thinking that we could, I don't know, organize a surprise party for her. And since you're so good at it…"
"I can't, Alex" Caroline said with a wince. Alex frowned at her. "I mean, I don't think I'll be able to. I haven't felt very well lately, honestly."
Alex nodded without saying anything. Caroline looked down at her hand again, trying not to break down again.
Caroline looked at the time on the screen of her phone for the third time that night. 3.30am, and she had not been able to fall asleep yet. It was not surprising, though. She had gotten used to it in the last few weeks.
She left the phone on the bedside table and shut her eyes tightly, curling up under the sheets and burying her face against the pillow. She felt as if she was suffocating.
"It's okay, I'm okay" she said to herself in a whisper, hugging herself with her arms.
How can you think I'm anything but hopelessly in love with you? I love you. I'm completely and utterly in love with you.
Caroline shook her head without opening her eyes.
"You lied" she said with a lump in her throat.
She hid her head under the sheets and everything went dark.
July
It had become a habit, going to the woods to spend afternoons there, sitting on the ground with her back against a tree.
There was a reason why she went there, though. She needed that time for herself, without having to hear Marien telling her to stop wander around with such pale face. And she always carried that book with her, Norwegian Wood, to read and reread those underlined sentences.
She brushed her fingertips against the page.
Stefan looked at her in awe and dropped his head on the pillow.
"Well, read me one. Your favourite one until now. One that reminds you of someone or one that is special to you" he said.
Caroline looked away from the book to look at him. He was giving her one of those soft tender smiles that melted her heart. She sighed and started to turn the pages.
"Let me find it…" she frowned as she looked for it until she found the sentence, one that was already underlined. "What about this one, I want you to always remember me. Will you remember that I existed, and that I stood next to you here like this?"
Stefan smiled softly and looked down. He then started to chuckle and she looked at him with a frown.
"What?" she asked.
"It's one of my favourites too" he said. "And, for the record, I'd never be able to forget you. I think I'll always remember you."
Caroline looked into his eyes and he smiled sweetly, bringing his face close to hers until he brushed her cheek with his lips. She closed her eyes and held her breathing.
"Why?" she asked in a whisper. He pulled his face away and they exchanged a look. He shook his head and shrugged.
"Because you're such an inspiration, Caroline" he smiled softly and she could not help but smile as well. "Because you've brought me back to life."
She closed her eyes tightly, closing the book and pulling it against her chest. She bit her lower lip, trying to stop the memories somehow.
Caroline opened her eyes and looked ahead quickly when she heard the sound of twigs being trampled.
"Marien?" she asked. It had not been the first time that her aunt had followed her to tell her to go home. "Is that you?" she rose to her feet, looking around.
"Everything goes as it should, I guess" she mumbled, staring at Liz's name engraved on stone. "I miss you."
She frowned and looked away to the crypt where Elena was resting, and then looked down at her hands, watching her daylight ring. She touched the little blue stone with her fingertips thoughtfully, and wondered how much it would hurt, if it would be quick, or if…
She looked up quickly when she saw a shadow slipping fast through the trees. That speed was not typical for any human.
"Damon, if that's you and…"
The moving shadow caused a gust of wind, but this time behind her. Maybe she was imagining it. Or maybe peace had not lasted long after the departure of the heretics and a new danger threatened them.
She rose and walked among the trees, looking around carefully so that she would not miss anything. Stefan looked at her, hiding behind a tree, dying to walk over to her and take her hand, to tell her that he loved her, that he missed her more than anything in the world.
Caroline stepped forward, walking among the trees and looking around to see if there was somebody else there. She passed a gravestone on which the initials S.S. were written and then stopped suddenly, a cold feeling running through her whole body.
She looked at the two gravestones over her shoulder with a frown and a familiar feeling.
"Caroline."
Caroline turned to Marien fast, putting a hand against her own chest.
"You scared me" she said.
"Let's go home" Marien wrapped her shoulders with an arm and led her home.
"What are you doing?" Marien asked her one night, watching her packing a lot of things in a box.
"I need to get rid of everything" she said with a blank, lost stare, putting the helmet, the snowglobe, the shirt in the box. "I can't stand all the memories."
Marien looked sadly at her and put a hand on her shoulder.
"Caroline…" she started.
"No" Caroline said without looking at her, dropping a frame of a picture of them in the box. "I know what you're going to tell me, okay? I know you think I'm being immature, and that it's the first time I fall in love and that's why it hurts so, so bad. So much that I can't" her voice started to shake. "I can't even breathe."
She sobbed as the tears fell down her cheeks. Marien sighed and wrapped her arms around her to hug her tightly, caressing her hair.
Caroline rang the bell of the Salvatore house the next day. When Elena opened the door, she smiled instantly.
"Caroline" she said with tender voice.
"Hey" Caroline smiled a little, looking down.
Elena looked at the box and realized what she was doing there.
"Oh" she said, sadly.
"Yeah" Caroline nodded, handing the box to her. "I just… Those are Stefan's things, I thought I should give them back to him, but since he's MIA, well…"
Elena looked at Caroline, wanting to hug her friend.
"It's like he's disappeared into the air" she said with a sad laugh. Elena bit the inside of her cheek.
"Do you want to… come in? Have dinner with us" Elena said. Caroline shook her head.
"I'd love to, but… My aunt is waiting for me, so."
Elena nodded and Caroline waved her hand at her before turning around. Elena looked at the box and sighed. Damon walked out the kitchen and looked at her.
"What's that?"
"Stefan's stuff" Elena said. "Caroline brought it. I hate this situation, Damon. I want my best friend back, and I'm not saying that we should do anything, but I just want her to spend time with us, be here, like old times."
Damon took a glance at the content of the box.
"Caroline brought it?" he headed to the door. "Maybe we can still-"
"Damon" Elena warned him and he stopped, snorting.
"What?"
"Don't. Whatever you're thinking, don't do it."
Damon raised an eyebrow at her.
"I know what you want to do, and the answer is no" Elena put the box in his hands and after giving him a look of warning, she headed to the kitchen.
He gritted his teeth and walked towards the stairs.
"I can't believe we're going through this crap again" he said under his breath, placing the box on Stefan's desk before sitting on the bed.
Damon looked around and glanced at all the journals that Stefan had brought from the Forbes's house. He took a look on the dates of each one of them until he grabbed one.
I remember, and I wish I could not forget, the moment in which I realized once again, that the wait was worthy. That she would always be worthy. Because when she said that I made her happy, I knew again that she was the one. I knew that I would not mind spending my whole eternity by her side, that I did not care about being a vampire anymore if that meant being with her forever. She saved me, in every way, in every sense someone can save a person. And I need to write it because I need to remember it, and know that she appeared just when I needed her. Being there, showing me that loving and being loved is not impossible, or hard, or bitter. She gave meaning to everything. She was the calm in my storm, despite putting my world upside down. I know that no one, ever, will be able to make me happy as she did. Caroline, you are indispensable.
"Huh" Damon looked up, remembering the day that he read that exact piece of text years ago. Right before he went to Caroline's to tell her that she should give the new Stefan, the Stefan without memories, a chance.
Maybe it was worth trying one last time.
August
Caroline opened her eyes wide and sat up on the bed, breathing hard. She looked around, her eyes getting used to the darkness of the bedroom and the night. The ring on her finger gleamed and she cringed, feeling as if the jewel was there to always make her remember him.
"No, not again" she whispered, trying to calm down. She put her head between her knees and wrapped her legs with her arms, closing her eyes tightly. "Why did you lie, why…?"
She opened her eyes and the silence of the night overwhelmed her. She looked at the bedside table, lit by the moonlight that filtered between the curtains. Damon had written down Stefan's new phone number below Daniel's message.
She took the note and her phone with a knot in her stomach and dialed the number without really knowing what she was doing. It was 4.30 in the morning.
One pip, another one, and then someone got the call, but did not say anything.
"Stefan?" she asked in a whisper.
She swallowed hard; her throat was completely dry. She wiped the sweat of her forehead with the back of her hand and her eyes landed on her phone. The silence of the night filled her ears, making her feel very small.
Caroline took her phone nerve-rackingly and found his name in the contact list. When she placed the phone against her ear, she started to touch the hem of her shorts anxiously, her stomach spinning.
One pip, another, and the remaining ones, until she heard his voice in his voicemail. She cringed a little at the sound of it.
"Hey, it's me" she said after clearing her throat. "I… I just" she swallowed, trying to restrain the tears and making a big effort to not let her voice sound so shaky and weak. "I guess I just wanted to hear your voice" she let out a fake laugh. "I know it's been months but… You know, sometimes it's hard for me to remember if you were actually real or not. You just left, you're gone" she shuddered, her voice becoming weak. She could not help the sob that came out from her throat. "Why?" she asked and sniffed. "Why did you leave? I can't stand the thought of losing you. And I know that I already did but I don't want to adm-"
Another pip marked the end of the voicemail. Caroline dropped the phone on her lap and covered her face with her hands.
Damon saw her sitting on one of the steps of her porch. She was reading a book and he thought that there were some things that never changed. He walked towards her with another book in his hand too, until he stood in front of her.
Caroline looked up from the book and opened her mouth.
"Caroline Forbes" Damon said with a grin. "How's my favorite blonde doing?"
She rolled her eyes and looked at her book again, letting out a sigh. Damon sat next to her.
"I'm not in the mood for the jokes" Caroline said, remembering all the times Damon had joked around every time he had caught her slipping out of Stefan's bedroom in the morning.
"Hmm" he smirked and nudged her. "Actually, you're right. Not the time for jokes. I'm here for something much more important."
Caroline stopped reading but kept her eyes on the page.
"You know? I really, really thought about doing this or not doing this, but then I remembered something. I remembered my old me" Damon grinned and Caroline looked at him with a frown. "Yup, if I didn't listen to Stefan the first, the second, and the third time, why would I listen to him now?"
"Uh… What are you talking about?"
"I'm talking about the fact that I'm the solution, the X of this equation. This is what Bonnie wanted me to do."
She gave him a questioning look and he clapped his hands.
"Okay, let's do this. So" he cleared his throat, getting ready. "Why do you think Stefan left?"
Caroline froze at hearing his name.
"I don't want to talk about this."
"Oh, no. Sorry, but you're going to. I won't leave."
She gaped at him, looking at him incredulously.
"He left because he's a dick" she said.
"Definitely, he is. But don't you think it's weird that he left so randomly, without any real explanation?"
Caroline did not know what to say to that.
"You want to know what's not weird?" he asked, snatching the book from her hands. She frowned. "The fact that you're reading this book, again. Let me see… I have a million things to talk to you about. All I want in this world is you. I want to see you and talk. I want the two of us to begin everything from the beginning. Hilarious, actually. Remember when you underlined this? Yeah."
She looked very confused at him.
"Remember our trip to Redmond? Phew, that was a stressful one. You almost got us killed, but-"
"Uh, sorry, but-"
"And what about the day we got rid of Valerie. Fangtastic, right? Did you notice what I did there?"
Caroline frowned and pursed her lips, thinking that he had either gotten drunk or lost his mind.
"Blondie, blondie, blondie" he said with a sigh. Caroline thought it was weird to hear him call her that, but at the same time, it felt familiar, as though she had heard that nickname a million times before. "Isn't it weird that my brother's name is Stefan?"
She widened her eyes and looked at him, still.
Damon looked at him with tightened jaw. He seemed to be having a mental dilemma, torn between opening his mouth and telling the truth, regardless of the consequences that it would entail, or remaining quiet.
"Don't you find it a bit weird?" he snapped, unable to contain himself. Stefan frowned and looked at him with a questioning look. "Isn't it strange that you have this kind of… strange connection with her? Isn't it strange that without knowing her at all, you feel that something pushes you towards her, that you should be with her? That she makes you happy just spending time with her? That you want to be around her all the time? That she's the only one who is able to calm you when your ripper side shows up? Damn it, Stefan, think!"
"Isn't it even weirder that the name of the woman he loved is Caroline? You know, isn't that one your name too?"
Damon squinted at her with a grin and she felt how her heart started to beat fast.
"What about the fact that there's a book written about them, and that they" he took something from the pocket of his jacket and showed it to her "look exactly like you two?"
Caroline swallowed, staring at the torn photo of Stefan on the porch at that cabin.
"He does, but we don't know about her" she said with a lump in her throat.
"Oh, please" he said, shaking his head and putting the photo back in its pocket. "I wonder who has the other half. I'd be surprised if you haven't found it yet. Guess Bonnie left clues everywhere."
Damon gave her a questioning look with narrow eyes and she looked down, nervous.
"So you have the other half. And you've known for a while that something's up."
Caroline looked away. Damon sighed.
"You know, it's very exhausting to be your personal Cupid for so many years" he said. She glared at him and he shrugged. "It's about time you two fix your things on your own. I'm… old for this" he winked at her. "If you know what I mean."
She shook her head fast, trying to reject the idea.
"No, no."
"No? Hah!" he took her hand to show the ring to her. "You know what's even funnier than everything I've told you already, Carebear?" he asked. She looked intently at him. "The fact that you even have the damn ring with which my brother was going to ask you to marry him."
"It's… No, it's impossible."
"Impossible" Damon repeated, releasing her hand. "You know what else is impossible? The fact that I've been in this world for so long."
She looked at him in silence, her suspicions being verified once and for all.
"And wanna know something? You've been too."
Her face got pale and her throat went dry. She swallowed hard and looked at the ring in her hand.
"And I think, deep down, you've known or suspected all of this for a while."
Caroline's eyes sparkled and got teary.
"I'm scared" she said in a whisper. Damon got serious for the first time and nodded.
"That's totally… normal" he said. "But remember what I told you in the store once?"
She nodded, looking down.
"I'll be selfish all the times I need to, I'll always spit out all the truth even if Stefan doesn't want me to, if it means that he's happy. Because it's my second chance to fix it. And we know who makes him happy."
Caroline ran a hand over her face and sighed.
"It's crazy" she said.
"It is. But, honestly, blondie. How could you be so dumb to think that he didn't want to be with you? In which world?!"
Caroline looked at him.
"He was trying to be the hero, always the hero" he rolled his eyes. "The question is, do you want to be with him?"
"Yes" she replied without thinking twice. Damon smirked.
"Even if that means finding out a lot of things, the things you're scared about."
Caroline hesitated for a second, but then she nodded.
"Yes."
"I knew you'd say that" he wiggled his eyebrows with a grin. "You never disappoint me. You never did."
They exchanged a look and he nodded with a smile.
"So" he handed the book he had brought with him to her. Caroline looked at the cover. It was the story of the lovers of the cemetery. "I wish I hadn't hidden all of these" he bit the inside of his cheek and she could not help but laugh a little. "And, here" he pulled another thing out of his pocket, took her hand, and placed it on her palm.
Caroline looked at the blue ring.
"It's a gift, kind of" he said. "I was supposed to keep it, but I think you're ready to have it now."
Damon looked at the ring, nostalgic, and Caroline put it inside the pocket of her jeans.
"Yup" he said, rising to his feet.
"What am I supposed to do with this?" Caroline asked, waving the book. "I've already read it."
"Hmm" he folded his arms. "I think you should read the last chapter. It'll probably help you to clear some things up. Don't forget the ring."
He started walking away and she opened the book to read the last chapter. Caroline's death.
Reading the last chapter of the book was enough for her to know where she had to go. It was a feeling, as if her heart knew.
Her feet walked on the twigs, leading her to the place about which she had read. The place that had looked so familiar to her in the woods. She stopped in front of the gravestone and stared at the S.S. initials.
"Where do you think that she-"
"I have a slight idea" Damon said, pouring a glass to himself. "The cemetery."
Bonnie nodded with a frown.
"She told me something some time ago… I think she had this hope that she'd meet him again, somehow."
Damon laughed, not being able to stop himself.
"Yeah, well" he said, leading the glass to his lips. "We already know how this works. The other side doesn't exist. You said it yourself."
"Yes, I did" Bonnie said, looking at the rings with a frown, thoughtful. "The other side doesn't exist."
They remained silent for a few seconds, and Damon realized how Bonnie seemed to be staring at the rings intently.
"Bon" he said, but she did not answer. Damon snapped his fingers in front of her face. "Bon!"
She woke up from her reverie and looked at him, startled.
"You okay?" he asked. Bonnie cleared her throat and let the rings drop inside the jewelry box.
"Yeah" she said. "It's just that I'd have liked to do something for her. For the last time."
Caroline took the ring and stared intently at it. She was tired, tired of sensing all those things that seemed so familiar and not understanding why. She just wanted to know the truth, know both sides of the story –if there was another one-, and then, having several options, choose the one she wanted. Because, how could she take a decision if she did not know what she was dealing with?
Caroline swallowed as she put the ring on her index finger. She moved her fingers, with her hand at the level of her face, and waited. But nothing happened, and she let her hand drop to her side with a sigh.
But then, when she looked at the gravestone again, it made sense. She knelt on the ground, just in front of it, and placed her hand against the stone. Caroline's heart raced and she held her breath, her eyes closing like a reflex.
"Well, okay, you want to go with them. I'll go with you."
"Caroline…" he looked away again. "You can't come."
"I'll be fine, okay? I'll behave if it's necessary, I'll try to-"
"Caroline, I don't want you to come with me."
"He told me that he needed to start again and give her a try… Lily."
"Why did you let him go?" she said with a hint of anger and frustration in her voice. Caroline did not want to fight again, not after he had offered to help at home, but she could not help feeling resentment against him.
"Because he didn't let me stop him" Damon hissed.
"Stefan" she said in a whisper.
Stefan took a step toward the three steps of the porch, but he stopped when he heard footsteps approaching behind him. He was completely frozen and glanced at Damon, shaking his head. Caroline saw it too.
"No" she mumbled. "No, no…"
Damon grabbed Caroline tightly and sped away with her, again hiding behind the bushes.
"No, Damon, we have to… Damon, don't you dare…!"
Damon grabbed the box and dropped it on her bed. Caroline looked at him, much to her dismay.
"What's that?" she asked with a harsh tone.
"Start with the first one. Don't read the others if… you haven't read the first one, okay?"
Caroline opened the box and saw all the journals, marked with dates. Dates that began the year Stefan had returned to Mystic Falls. He took the oldest, the first one, and opened it to the first page.
Caroline pressed her lips against his, giving him a slow, simple kiss. She opened her eyes and saw that Stefan was already staring at her.
"And what will happen once I forget also about that?" he asked her.
"I'll give you another" she said, placing her hands on both sides of his neck to give him another peak. Stefan closed his eyes tightly, enjoying the touch of her lips. It had been years without her, without her kisses. He licked his lips, trying to mark the taste of her mouth on his skin, and she opened her sparkly eyes.
"Caroline… No, don't…"
"Stefan, please" she begged.
Stefan looked at her for a few seconds, but then looked away, trying very hard not to let go. Caroline grabbed his chin to make him look at her again and although Stefan tried to avoid her gaze, he finally looked at her and gulped.
"Look at me and tell me you don't want to come back, with me" she said.
"How wouldn't I want to be with you?" he asked her. "Did you read my journals?"
"Then, come with me" she squeezed his shirt tightly helplessly "I will remember for both of us."
"Who…?"
Caroline raised her eyebrows questioningly, still smiling.
"Who are you?"
Her smile became blurred slowly as she felt how her stomach twisted.
Stefan groaned, trying to shake Damon off.
"Blondie?!" Damon insisted. Caroline reacted and walked towards him.
"Stefan, hey…" Caroline put her hand on his arm but he ignored her. He had his eyes on the boy. Until Caroline took his hand. "Stefan."
It was like a reflex. As soon as he felt her delicate little hand holding his, he turned to her, completely forgetting the smell of blood, the bloodlust. Caroline stared into his eyes as Damon compelled the guys to forget and continue drinking and enjoying the party.
"Listen to my voice, okay?" she said tenderly, stroking the back of his hand with her thumb. Stefan stared at her, watching her lips.
"How could anyone forget someone like you?"
They looked at each other for a few seconds that seemed eternal for her. She felt how her heart started beating fast when his gaze landed on her lips as he stroked her hand with his thumb. Stefan was bringing his face close to hers slowly, and he gulped. Caroline could not help but lift her other hand to place it against his chest and grip his shirt, to which he replied with a little smile, closing his eyes, and finally brushing her lips.
Caroline looked at the house, unable to hear anything. She had her ears blocked. Valerie walked out of the house and after looking around for a few seconds, she saw them crouched beside the car, some meters away. She looked at Caroline, who felt how her heart began to race. Valerie smiled, touched her necklace, and disappeared.
Caroline stood up slowly, staring at the open door of the house.
"Stefan" she said, this time louder. "Stefan" Caroline shook him, rustling his chest. "Stop playing. Wake up."
Bonnie looked away, covering her mouth. Damon was still looking at his brother, with his eyes fixed on his face.
"Stefan" Caroline gave him a little hit in the chest. "Stefan!" she cried this time with wide eyes and a knot in her throat. She grabbed the neck of his shirt, shaking him with strength. "I said wake up!"
Caroline started to punch his chest furiously as the tears streamed down her cheeks and she cried uncontrollably, sobbing while crying his name out in a heartbreaking way.
"Damon" Bonnie begged. But Damon could not move. He felt that no part of his body was able to respond.
"Wake up!" Caroline yelled to Stefan. "Wake up or I swear I'll never forgive you for this!" she grabbed his face with her hands and started to pat his cheeks. "Stefan, hey, Stefan, open your eyes" she said now, begging.
Caroline waited in silence for a few seconds, but getting no answer, she punched his chest hard again as she let out cries of rage.
"I hate you!" she shouted to his lifeless body. "I hate you, do you hear me?!"
"Damon" Bonnie repeated.
Damon reacted and walked towards Caroline without saying a word. He grabbed her waist from behind to pull her away from Stefan's body.
"No! Let me go!" Caroline cried, trying to resist.
"He's dead, Caroline" Damon said with weak voice. Bonnie watched them, scared of seeing Caroline in that state, and not knowing what to do.
"No!" she yelled before bursting into tears and letting herself drop, feeling weak. "No, please, no" Damon grabbed her as he could at seeing how her body did not have the strength to stand. She was shaking because of her constant crying, and he guided her towards the door.
She felt his lips against her cheek to give her a soft kiss, and when he threw his head back, she opened her eyes, smiling as a tear fell down on the exact spot where he had kissed her. Stefan looked tenderly at her, with that look that expressed how much he adored her, and wiped the tear with his thumb quickly.
"Don't cry" he said in a whisper. "It won't take much longer. We're almost there."
Caroline stopped in front of her and looked into her eyes.
"Do you remember me?" she asked, emotionless.
Valerie tried to scream, to get rid of Damon's grip in vain. As much as she grabbed his arm to try to pull it away from her neck, it was impossible. Caroline grabbed her chin to make her stay still.
"Do you remember?" Caroline repeated, her eyes darkening.
Valerie looked at her for a few seconds, motionless, until she nodded slightly.
"Good."
Caroline left the pen on the desk and folded the paper. She looked at the jewelry box and smiled softly, the physical and psychological exhaustion reflected on her face.
She opened the book and took Stefan's daylight with her finger carefully. Her heart jumped at seeing the little object, and she could not help but smile with teary eyes. She had thought that her heart would never show signs of life ever again.
Caroline brought the ring to her lips and she closed her eyes as the tears fell in silence. It still smelled like him.
"Almost there" she said in a whisper with shaky voice.
She went downstairs 5 minutes later, and she left the jewelry box on the small table of the living room. Caroline smiled at the bottle of bourbon as she placed the folded piece of paper under the box.
She took a deep breath and looked at Stefan's daylight ring again, inside the box. She swallowed and removed her daylight ring, her engagement ring already on her finger. She let it drop on the jewelry box and then closed it.
Caroline checked the time on the clock of the wall. 4.30am. She started to walk towards the door and grabbed the knob to open it. She watched the darkness of the night, the stars on the sky, the silence outside.
She looked over her shoulder, watching the fireplace, the chairs, the jewelry box, the note that she had written for Damon. She took a deep, shaky breath and closed the door behind her.
Caroline opened her eyes wide, her chest going up and down due to the heavy breathing. She stood up and started walking backwards, her eyes filling with tears, her heart beating fast.
Her back hit a tree and she covered her mouth with her hands, trying to control all the emotions threatening to come out. She dropped to the ground, remembering every single painful moment and memory.
"Oh my God" she said in a whisper, unable to restrain the tears anymore. "Oh my God" she sobbed and covered her mouth with a shaky hand.
"It's okay" Marien said in a whisper, crouching down next to her and squeezing Caroline's shoulder with her hand in a comforting way. "I got you, I got you."
What had stirred in me was a part of my very self that had long lain dormant. And when the realization struck me, it aroused such sorrow I almost burst into tears.
Haruki Murakami.
Caroline turned on the lights, seeing everything clearly. She looked around like years ago, watching his bed, the books placed on the shelves, the boxes with all the journals.
She took a deep breath and wrapped herself with her arms, stroking them up and down.
"Is it over?" Damon asked, leaning against the door frame.
Caroline looked over her shoulder.
"Will you now be able to move on? To move forward?" he continued.
They exchanged a meaningful look.
"I think I will" she replied, nodding slightly.
Damon nodded too and looked around one last time before turning around. He stopped, however, before leaving. He grabbed the door frame and looked at Caroline. She looked back at him.
"Take care, blondie."
Caroline smiled with a tender look and, sensing his presence, she turned around. Damon was leaning against the frame of the door with his arms folded, looking around.
"Are you, you?" he asked.
"Yeah, I am me" she replied with a little smile.
He nodded with a hint of a smile on his face.
"Bonnie…" he started, but Caroline interrupted him.
"I know, Marien told me" she said. "She… Bonnie, she's brilliant."
"She's probably the most brilliant person I've ever met" he agreed. "You know, it has been boring without you around."
Caroline laughed with watery eyes, looking at him.
"Time to move forward" he said. Caroline smiled tenderly at the word play. "Time to get your happy ending. And give my brother his."
She nodded with a grateful look.
"I'm glad to see you again, Damon" she finally said. Damon looked at her for a few seconds before smiling.
"You too, blondie."
Elena appeared suddenly at the door and looked at Caroline with wide eyes. Caroline could not help but start crying as she laughed, seeing her friend walk over to her to hug her tightly.
"You're back" Elena said, crying too. "You're back."
I will wait, I am waiting, and I will love you with all the love I possess until this body is ash and I begin my search for you again.
Tyler Knott Gregson
Caroline got out of the car and looked at the façade of the cabin. As soon as she had gotten her memories back, she knew where he had stayed the past few months, and where he would still be.
She started walking over the porch.
Caroline walked among the trees as the silence filled her ears. The wind was moving the leaves and the bushes, and the stars were shining in the sky. She stopped when she reached her destination, still not used to the absence of her daylight ring.
Caroline put the key in the lock, but as soon as she did, she realized that the door was already open. She smiled and pushed it, and once she entered, she saw the bouquet of orchids on the table while hearing some noise in the kitchen.
She looked at the crypt where Elena was sleeping, and then at her mom's gravestone. Caroline smiled with nostalgia and swallowed to try to make the lump in her throat vanish.
And then her eyes landed on his gravestone. It was the first time that she saw it. She brushed her fingertips against the initials of his name and smiled sadly.
And then she knew, she was finally home.
Her lower lip trembled because of the amount of emotions inside of her, but she stood straight and took a deep breath. Caroline sat on the ground and leaned her back against his gravestone, closing her eyes.
Stefan looked at her from the kitchen, wiping his hands with a cloth.
"I was waiting for you" he said, walking over to her with a soft smile on his face.
Caroline smiled back at him and put her arms around his neck.
"Why didn't you tell me?" she asked.
"I was trying to protect you."
She gave him a tender smile with watery eyes and he leaned her forehead against hers.
"Do you have any regrets?" he asked. She shook her head.
"No. Dying with you wasn't the worse way to go. Because you're here, with me, again. You and me…"
"…finally together" she said in a whisper, smiling with her eyes closed as she saw them in her mind. They were at the cabin, standing in the living room, his forehead against hers.
He pulled back and smiled at her, looking into her eyes with an intensity that made her heart jump.
"So… You remember me. You finally remember me" she said, letting out a weak laugh as the tears fell from her eyes.
Caroline felt the tears falling down her cheeks, but her little smile did not disappear for a second.
Stefan cupped her cheeks with his hands, caressing them as he looked tenderly at her. He leaned his forehead against hers again and sighed. Caroline's heart jumped again, more alive than ever. They had waited years for this moment, an eternity, a lifetime; they had looked for each other in the afterlife.
Caroline blinked several times and looked at her engagement ring. The sun started to rise and appear in the sky. She was ready; she was ready to go and find him again. The beams of light were about to caress her skin when her lips whispered her and his last words…
"I never forgot you."
THE END.