STEFAN'S POV:
"Hello?" I questioned as I answered an unknown number phone call
"Stefan, it's me, it's your Mom." she informed me "I need your help."
"What's going on?" I inquired
"I've been arrested," she admitted "I was only gone from my car two minutes and they gave me a ticket…"
"And why have they arrested you for giving you a ticket?" I asked
"I may have argued with the police officer and hit him…" she informed me "You should've heard him though, Stefan, he deserved it."
I sighed heavily and ran my hand over my face, smiling weakly at Caroline as she walked out of her en-suite bathroom… "I can't come and bail you out, Mom, I'm sorry."
"So what am I supposed to do?" she questioned
"I don't know, call someone else." I replied "Or face the consequences of your actions."
"Stefan, please." she begged
"I'm sorry, Mom." I admitted, hanging up the phone before she could protest
"What's wrong?" Caroline asked worriedly
"Mom's got herself arrested," I informed her "she got a parking ticket and had a row with the police officer and she hit him."
"And you're not gonna go and bail her out?" she questioned, raising an eyebrow at me
"No," I replied "because me and my girlfriend have got plans, and I'm not gonna cancel them because my Mom did a stupid thing."
She smiled at me warmly and moved over to me, winding her arms around my waist… "Are you sure?"
I nodded my head… "We're gonna miss the start of the film if we don't head off soon. Are you nearly ready?"
"I'm ready." she informed me as she picked up her handbag from her bed "Let's go."
CAROLINE'S POV:
Stefan and I left the movie theatre hand-in-hand, my head resting on his arm as we walked when we were stopped in our tracks by Elena. Lifting my head as she came into view, I swallowed a lump in my throat and looked up at Stefan…
"What do you want, Elena?" he asked
"To say hello," she replied "am I not allowed to say hello to friends?"
"Friends?" I inquired "Are you freaking kidding me?"
"What's got you so worked up, Forbes?" she asked, raising an eyebrow at me
"The fact that you spiked my drink and put me in hospital," I proclaimed "why can't you just keep your distance?"
"Because this," she admitted, motioning to me and Stefan "is all wrong. Stefan should be with me, and he knows that as well as you and I do, and soon enough he'll realise that and you'll be left all on your sad little lonesome again, and I'll have my man back. Just thought I'd let you know. Bye."
"Ignore her…" Stefan begged as she walked away
"I'm trying." I replied, dropping his hand and continuing my way out of the movie theatre
"I know it's hard to but you've got to believe me, Caroline, I'm not going back to her." he informed me as he followed after me
"I do believe you." I admitted "It's just her; I know the lengths she'll go to…"
"You just need to continue trusting me and everything will be fine, I promise," he assured me "I will not do anything to hurt you, Caroline; you have my word on that."
I smiled at him warmly… "Okay."
Reciprocating my smile, he moved over to me and pressed his lips against mine… "I love you."
"What?" I questioned
"I said I love you," he informed me "and it's the truth, I do."
"I love you too." I replied as I captured his lips in mine
STEFAN'S POV:
"Hey, Lil," I greeted her as I answered her call the next day "what's up?"
"Do you think you could come over after school?" she asked "There's something you need to see…"
"What is it?" I inquired
"It's just something, Stefan," she informed me "but it's important you see it sooner rather than later. So can you?"
"I'll pick you and Damon up," I replied "I'll see you later."
"See you later." she mirrored, both of us hanging up the phone
"That sounded weird," Caroline asked "what was that all about?"
"Lil wants me to see something, but she won't tell me what." I admitted "What do you think it could be?"
She shrugged her shoulders in reply… "How did she sound?"
"Okay," I replied "but you never can tell over the phone, can you?"
"No, I guess not," she admitted "why don't you go over now? Surprise them by taking them to school? I can make my own way in…"
"I said I'd go tonight now…" I informed her
"You're allowed to change your mind as a concerned big brother." she replied "Go on, go, and I'll see you later."
"Are you sure?" I questioned
She nodded her head she turned her head to me as she finished packing her school bag… "I'll see you at dinner, and you can tell me what's going on then."
"Deal." I informed her as I stood and pressed my lips against hers "I'll see you then."
Twenty minutes later, I pulled into Dad's driveway just as Damon and Lily were about to leave the house. Turning off my engine and looking up at them through the windscreen, I climbed out of my car and walked over to them as I noticed Damon's black eye…
"Is this what you called about?" I asked Lily, raising an eyebrow at her
"You called him?" Damon questioned
She swallowed a lump in her throat and nodded her head… "I'm sorry, Damon."
"I got into a fight at school," Damon informed me "it's no big deal, it's all sorted now."
"No big deal?" I questioned "Are you kidding me? Who did this to you?"
"Just some kid," he replied "we got into a fight over a girl…"
"Lil, can you go and wait in the car please?" I inquired
"What about school?" she questioned
"We won't be late, I promise." I assured her "Just go and wait in the car please."
"Okay." she replied
Once she'd shut the door behind her, I turned to Damon and raised an eyebrow at him… "Now do you want to tell me the truth?"
"I just have," he informed me "it was a fight between me and some kid. He won, I lost."
"Is that the story you wanna stick to?" I inquired "Because I sure as hell don't believe you…"
"Why not?" he asked
"Because you're my younger brother, Damon, and I know when you're lying, so tell me who did this." I replied "Was it Dad?"
"No, it wasn't Dad." he admitted
"Then who was it?" I asked "Just tell me, Damon…"
"It was Mom, okay?" he questioned "Mom did this to me."
I do love my cliffhangers – what will Stefan say now he knows that his Mom hit his brother so hard she gave him a black eye?