A/N: Sorry for taking so long to update! Life. Ugh. Anyway, I've finished this chapter. I hope you like it. I'm already - (Kind of) - working on the next one. Thank you. All of you who have reviewed, followed and favorited. You guys are the best. :)

But I'm only human.

And I bleed when I fall down.

I'm only human.

And I crash and I break down.

Your words in my head, knives in my heart.

You build me up and then I fall apart.

'Cause I'm only human.

Human – Christina Perri.

Once her eyes fell on the new teacher, she felt this magnetic pull towards him. It was inexplicable. Unexplainable. And undeniably there. Her heartbeat sped up immensely. There was a sinking feeling in her stomach.

All sensations she hadn't felt since the day her father proclaimed his love for Stephen, his boyfriend, and left her and her mother. Caroline remembered that day as clearly as if it had happened the day before. Her mother just sat on the couch, eyes glassy and staring straight ahead.

Caroline walked towards her mother and placed her hand on her mother's shoulder. But Liz just pushed it off and left for work. Leaving Caroline behind to deal with her own tumultuous and tempestuous emotions.

Caroline had spent many nights alone, making herself frozen TV dinners and doing her homework by herself. She kept the house clean and did all the chores. Eventually, she began to get the hang of cooking and cleaning and fell into the groove of it easily.

Caroline learned to take care of herself. She learned how to rebuff apologies and stare down the sympathetic looks. She ignored the mutters about poor, little Caroline Forbes and kept her chin raised and dealt with it. By herself.

As she grew older, she attempted to understand her mother's withdrawal, but couldn't. Her mother pulled away and left her to deal with the wreckage her father left behind. And she rose from the ashes of her former life and, like a phoenix, she took flight. Caroline grew strong.

So, how was it that Damon Salvatore made her so weak? Caroline twirled her pen absently, lost in thought. She distantly heard the substitute teacher speaking to the class. Her mind whirling. Her memories had been returning in fragments. But, still. Pieces are missing.

Caroline opened her English textbook and read absently. The bell resounded, shrill and annoying. She began gathering her books as the teacher says softly, "Caroline Forbes; is it?" Caroline looked up, "Yes. That's me."

He stepped around the desk and leaned against it, "I think we should get to know each other, don't you?" Caroline smiled at him wanly, "Thanks. But if you're here on a substitute basis, then that's really unnecessary." She grabbed her bag and walked out of the classroom.

She could feel his eyes on her as she turned and walked down the hallway. Elena walked up to her, her brows knitted together. Inwardly, Caroline groaned. She smiled, nonetheless. Elena glanced around and whispered to her, "Can we talk?"

Caroline clamped down on her annoyance and relented with a sigh, "Fine. Where?" Elena nodded to the girl's restroom. She walked inside and checked the stalls before locking the door and turning to Caroline, "I've been having these weird flashes lately."

Caroline lifted a brow, "What?" Elena sighed softly, "I've been having these flashes. Kind of like memories." Caroline folded her arms, "What kind of memories?" Elena chewed on her lower lip absently, her amber hues cast to the floor, "I'm not sure exactly. They're in pieces. That guy Stefan is in most of them. You. Bonnie. Jeremy. I was getting ready for school and I had this flash. Jeremy getting his neck snapped."

The brunette frowned, "What's going on?" Caroline shook her head, "I don't know. But the same thing has been happening to me." Elena's brows furrowed as she whispered, "Do you think someone did this to us?" Caroline's aquatic oculars widened, "How?"

Elena shook her head, "I don't know. But, what if someone made this happen to us?" Caroline bit down on her lower lip, thinking. A sharp knife of pain sliced through her skull as she shook her head. She turned away and clutched at the sink.

She heard Damon's voice in her mind, "No, you're the only stupid thing here. And shallow and useless." Caroline felt her heart sink. She felt like a knife had been driven into her heart. She was shattered inside. She remembered feeling that when he said it too.

Disbelief radiated through her. Horror and nausea following it, before acceptance settled in. Elena frowned at her friend, "Are you okay?" Caroline nodded slightly, "Yeah. I'm fine," She breathed out shakily.

She glanced around the bathroom before sprinting to the door and unlocking it, bursting into the hallway and racing to the double doors that fed to the parking lot. And freedom. She was running blindly, her eyes cast low to hide her tears before she collided with someone warm, and soft, and unmistakably human.

Caroline raised her eyes, seeing Matt and Tyler standing in front of her. Matt was Tyler's best and probably only friend. Tyler had a reputation for being what Jeremy, Elena's little brother, once called him. A dick. He loved to party and loved to fight.

And loved to demean anything and anyone that offended or bothered him. Which included everything in Mystic Falls and all of the world, apparently. Caroline swallowed softly and ran around them, hurrying towards the road. She saw the blue Chevy Camaro convertible parked at the shoulder of the road.

A familiar dark head could be seen in the front seat. Caroline licked her lips and strode over to the car. Damon turned to face her as she folded her arms. "So," Caroline began frostily, "I remembered how horrible you treated me. Why bother returning? Since you obviously don't care about me!"

Damon's brows rose as he climbed out of the car, "Caroline," he began. Caroline took a step back, shaking her head, "Don't. Don't even bother. You keep going on and on about all the horrible things you've done. To me and to others. And how the people responsible for the attacks on me are gonna pay."

Damon lowered his oceanic hues. Caroline drew in a deep breath, "Just answer me honestly. Are you in the Mafia?" Damon looked up at her, staring at her incredulously before roaring with laughter. He laughed so hard he doubled over.

Caroline watched him with wide eyes. What's so damn funny?She thought, confused. Damon sobered up, mirth still glittering in his eyes as he replied, "No. I'm not in the Mafia." Caroline folded her arms, "Then what?" Damon glanced around before nodding to his car, "Get in."

Caroline glanced at the car and whispered, "I'm not supposed to get into cars with strangers." Damon's lip curled before he said softly, "Trust me." Caroline responded softly, "I don't." She walked around the car, pulling the passenger door open, sliding into the seat.

Damon climbed into the driver's seat and turned the key in the ignition before putting the car in "Drive" before pulling away from the shoulder and guides the car down the road. Caroline glanced over at him, "So, are you going to tell me what this big secret that you can't tell me in public is?"

Damon gazed through the windshield a moment before answering, "I'm –" Caroline's phone began to ring, "Addicted to Love" by Robert Palmer playing. Damon glanced at her as she fished her phone from her bag, "Mom" blinking up at her.

Caroline swallowed softly, pressing the "Answer" button, bringing it to her ear, "Mom?" She said softly. "Caroline," Liz said, her words unsteady, "Where are you?" Caroline frowned, replying, "With a friend. Mom, what's going on?"

Her mom's words were whispered as she answered, "Come home, immediately, Caroline. Don't argue with me!" The call was ended with a click and Caroline turned to Damon, her stomach sinking as she asked him shakily, "Can you bring me home?"

Damon glanced at her, alarmed, "What's going on?" Caroline shook her head, "Just – just do it!" Damon nodded and yanked the steering wheel, the tires screeching as the car jolted, spinning before his foot slammed against the gas pedal and lurched forward.

Caroline grasped the seat, her nails digging into the leather as she squeezed her eyes shut before thinking fearfully, I hope everything's okay. God, I hope everything's alright.