AN: This was a prompt on Tumblr. I was asked to write a fic where Steroline had dreams of each other like the ones Stelena is having in the promos for the next ep. This beast is what resulted.

Red Thread of Fate

"Will, stop chasing your sister. You'll trip."

The auburn haired five year old slowed, looking up at Caroline with bright eyes while his blonde sister, a tiny three year old version of Caroline, stood in the door to the living room giggling, her curls bouncing with the motion.

"But Mommy, Lexie wants me to chase her. Don't you, Lex? I'm the big bad dragon, and she's the knight luring me into the cave."

"A knight, huh?" Stefan entered the room, dipping down to pick up Lexie, making the girl squeal happily. "Not a princess?"

"I'm a pwincess when thew're no dwagons, daddy. Dwagons need knights to stop them. Wight, Willy?"

Will nodded solemnly and Stefan smiled down at him, and Caroline felt a pang, because that smile was the exact same one Will wore whenever he was trying to sweet talk her. The picture in front of her – her husband, her children – it was so beautiful, and how painful was it, knowing it would never be hers?

Wait, what?

Caroline felt her smile fade away, replaced by a confused frown. This was hers. Her husband, her children, her life, so where had that thought come from?

"Care?" Stefan asked, looking up at her from their children. "Something wrong?"

He placed Lexie back on the floor and let her run off, the knight chasing the dragon once more. Caroline smiled after them, and Stefan stepped up to her, his hands coming up to bury themselves in her hair as he kissed her. Caroline closed her eyes, kissing him back.

"Nothing is wrong," she said when they broke apart. "It's perfect."

"It really is," Stefan agreed, smiling that smile at her that always made her smile back. "And now you have to wake up."

"Wha-"

And Caroline snapped awake, sitting up as though her pillow had burned her, her hands coming up to her hair, as though she would find Stefan's hands still buried there. She blinked around the room in confusion. It was her dorm, in Whitmore. Bonnie and Elena were both in bed, their breathing relaxed in sleep, while Caroline's came out in shallow pants. What the hell had that dream been?

And why did it leave her feeling as though she had lost something precious?

RTOF

"Playing the knight again?" Stefan asked, walking in on his children sitting in a circle with Lexie's stuffed animals, tiny plastic tea cups in front of them.

"Silly daddy," Lexie replied cheerily, and she looked so like Caroline with that little grin on her face that Stefan felt the love swell in him. "Thewe awen't any dwagons hewe today. I'm Pwincess Lexie."

"And I'm Prince Will," Will explained, with a slightly pained expression on his little face, but if there was one thing the boy loved, it was his sister. So there he sat, surrounded by stuffed animals and pretending to sip tea because it made her happy, and Stefan felt pride swell in him. "Lex said that princes weren't supposed to go tea parties, but I pointed out that if princesses could also be knights, then princes could also enjoy tea."

"His words were vewy wise," Lexie agreed sagely, stumbling over the word wise, because it was one she had just been introduced to, but she loved to use it and brought it up at least ten times a day, whether it fit the meaning she was looking for or not. "So he was included in tea."

Stefan grinned at his son, who grinned back and shrugged in that helpless way that said what are you gonna do and went back to sipping his tea.

"Our children," Caroline murmured coming up to wrap her arms around Stefan's waist. "Breaking all the gender barriers."

"She's going to be just like you," Stefan said. "Ruling everything and everyone with an iron fist until they don't know what they would have done without her."

"Except Lexie isn't going to stop at being the Mayor of Mystic Falls," Caroline replied when Stefan spun around so he could hold her as well. "Our little girl is so going to be President someday."

"And Will will join the secret services, just so he can protect her," Stefan agreed, leaning down so he could kiss her. They broke apart with a laugh when they heard dramatic blegh!s come from behind them, though when they turned around both children looked as though they were absorbed with the tea party.

"This is so perfect," Caroline murmured, resting her cheek against Stefan's chest.

"It really is. You're perfect."

"It's too bad we can't keep it," she murmured, longingly.

"Care, what-"

And in Mystic Falls, Stefan snapped awake, the feeling of Caroline's warmth still leaving a tingling in his arms. Arms that felt bereft without her. Stefan looked around his empty room and ran his hands through his hair before falling back so he could stare at the roof.

"What the hell was that?"

RTOF

"You look terrible, Care."

Caroline looked up from her half full-plate as Bonnie joined her.

"Thanks, Bon. Glad to know I have friends to stroke my ego."

Bonnie gave her a critical look and raised brows, her don't try to change the subject look, and Caroline sighed and slumped in her seat.

"I haven't been sleeping very well lately. I've been having these … dreams."

"Nightmares?" Bonnie asked, looking alarmed. "I mean, you said that Atlanta was tough, and then you saw the Travellers and their bonfire… it would makes sense."

"No. Not nightmares. They're… ugh!" Caroline ran her hands through her hair. "Okay, I need you in best friend mode. What I say here goes no further, especially not to Elena."

"O-kay," Bonnie replied slowly, drawing out the 'o' sound, her eyes filled with worry, because Caroline didn't do secrecy. Caroline couldn't keep secrets.

"I've been having dreams about Stefan. Really, really good dreams."

"Really… as in really good dreams?" Bonnie asked with wide eyes.

It took Caroline a moment to catch onto what Bonnie meant by the really, and when she did, she felt heat flare in her cheeks.

"No – not like that! I mean… okay, there have been a couple sort of like that, but I always wake up before the really good parts. No, it's… I've been dreaming that we're together. Like married, with kids, and it's a really good life, Bon. Only it doesn't make any sense. I haven't dreamed about a human life since… well, not for a long time. At this point, I don't think I'd even want a human life. Only… it's a really good life." Caroline's expression grew wistful as she thought of those dreams, and how easy it was. Easy to hold and kiss Stefan, and to look at their children and simply be in love – because she was, in love with those children as much as she was with Stefan in those dreams.

"Oh. Wow," Bonnie replied, sitting back in her seat. "That's… and they've just started? This hasn't been happening for a while or anything?"

"Bonnie, I didn't have dreams like this about Stefan even back when I was planning our June wedding. It's like I went to sleep one night and my psyche decided hey! Let's give you impossible dreams of your best friend."

"Have you spoken to Stefan about them?" Bonnie asked, taking a bite of salad, but never taking her eyes from Caroline. This was the most interesting thing to happen since Silas, and since that had resulted in the death of her dad, Bonnie didn't consider him so much interesting as horrific.

"Oh, yeah, cause that would go over well. Hey, Stef! I've been having dreams about you where we're painfully in love," Caroline gave Bonnie her best are you kidding me look. "I'd do anything for Stefan, and our friendship is strong… but he's hung up on Elena, remember? Hearing about my weird human fantasies would make things awkward."

"He doesn't seem to be so hung up on Elena anymore," Bonnie offered. "And the two of you do spend a lot of time together. I mean, if you were anyone else, I'd assume you were a couple. Maybe this is your mind's way of telling you that you should try for that June wedding again."

Caroline snorted incredulously at that.

"Please, Bonnie. Elena and Stefan are destined to be together, remember? The whole universe is conspiring to throw them into each other's orbit. I'm not going to try and get in the way of that."

"Then maybe you need to get a date. A new boy to concentrate on. You didn't really get a proper rebound from Tyler. Maybe it's just hormones."

Caroline looked over Bonnie's shoulder and considered a table full of frat boys. They were hot, and Caroline knew she could charm any one of them into taking her for dinner.

"Maybe," she agreed, studying the table, but she knew she wouldn't. Something about the thought of someone else touching her felt wrong.

God, she was so screwed.

RTOF

This isn't working. They fight us every step of the way.

Curse those damned prideful fools for the idiots they are!

Patience, sisters. They know what they want, we must simply make them admit it.

How?

An elderly woman patiently spun thread on a wheel, the gold of the material glinting under the lights of the room, as two others – a voluptuous middle aged woman and a girl no older than twelve – watched on with barely concealed impatience.

We must simply, as the youth of today say, step up our game.

For you see, the universe might conspire to pair the doppelgangers, but Fate had a very differently plan for the denizens of Mystic Falls.

RTOF

Her smile was wicked as she kissed her way down his chest. Her golden hair trailed along his skin, leaving goosebumps in its wake, and Stefan couldn't bite back a groan as she placed wet kisses down his abs, to the band of his boxers.

"You're evil," he muttered. "A tease."

"You love it," Caroline replied, palming his cock through his boxers, and Stefan let a hiss out through his teeth. "You love me."

At first, Stefan was confused… he didn't love Caroline, did he? Not the way she was implying. But he found he had no control over his own vocal chords as he responded.

"I really do," he said, brushing some of that hair away from her face, and as the words came out, Stefan felt the rightness of them. Loving Caroline, it was right. It was like…

Fate.

"It really is a pity," Caroline murmured as she released his length and swirled her tongue around the crown. Stefan let out a yell and his hips bucked into the air at the sensation. Caroline grinned and repeated the action, her fingers fondling his balls.

"God, don't stop, Care," Stefan gasped. "Never stop."

"Oh Stefan," Caroline replied, before licking along his length and swirling the crown once more. "I have to stop."

"What? Don't you dare!"

"You have to wake up."

Once again, Stefan found himself awake, gasping for breath. This time for a much different reason. He could still feel Caroline's lips around him, the goosebumps her touch had raised, and the remembered sensations were making things rather… painful.

"Well, that must have been a happy dream," Damon commented. He was leaning against the doorway of the den, where Stefan had been having a nap. "Who got little Stefan all excited?"

"Shut up, Damon," Stefan muttered, feeling like he was fifteen again and getting caught with his hand down his trousers by his dad.

"Embarrassed?" Damon asked with a smirk. "Or do you just not want to give me the dirty?" the smile faded from his face as another consideration came to mind. "Or maybe you don't want to say anything because it was Elena."

"No, it wasn't Elena," Stefan replied automatically, and he banged his head back against the couch. "It would probably be easier if it were."

"Oh?" Damon looked intrigued now. "Considering how many troubles our mutual… interest in Elena has caused, I'm even more curious. Who could possibly be worse? I mean, it's not like you're having wet dreams about Blondie all of the sudden."

When Stefan groaned and buried his head in his hands, Damon's eyes widened and he let out an almost gleeful laugh.

"No way! Vampire Barbie? Really, Stef? I mean, don't get me wrong, that girl is an artist in bed, but we both kno – what the hell are you doing?"

Damon stared down at his very, very angry brother, who had pinned him against the wall, his arm digging painfully into his neck.

"You don't get to talk about her like that. What you did to her was abuse, and the only reason I never killed you is because you're my brother. Don't make me regret that decision."

Stefan released Damon and spun around, trying to fight back his anger at the memories of what had been done to Caroline, and how Stefan had simply let it happen.

"Wow," Damon commented, because he had never learned when to keep his mouth shut. "Careful brother, or I might think you're in love with the girl."

Stefan groaned again.

RTOF

His fingers were wreaking havoc on every molecule of her being.

They were pumping in and out of her – slowly, so slowly – while his thumb circled her clit, and Caroline found herself burying her face against his neck to muffle her moans.

"Does that feel good?" he whispered against her ear, and the feeling of his warm breath against the sensitive skin made her shiver in delight.

"No," she replied, as dryly as she could while writhing against his hand. "It feels horrible. Worst thing ever."

"I can tell," Stefan replied with a chuck and a nip of her ear lobe. "I wish we didn't have to stop."

"We don't," Caroline replied, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him down for a searing kiss. "In fact, if you do, I think I might kill you."

"We do have to stop. You have to wake up… but we wouldn't. Not if you would just open your eyes."

Caroline snapped awake, sweat running down her spin and a heavy wetness between her legs. She gritted her teeth in frustration, because couldn't dream Stefan have at least gotten her off?

"That must have been some dream," Elena said, coming out the bathroom with a hairbrush in one hand. "I don't think I get that vocal during real sex."

"Yeah, those were some noises," Bonnie agreed from her bed, but Caroline could see the question in her eyes.

"Well, it turns out dreams end at the worst times," Caroline replied through gritted teeth, trying to fight back her embarrassment and giving Bonnie the slightest shake of her head. "I need a shower. A cold one."

But even as the water ran down her, washing away the sweat, it couldn't wash away the feeling of Stefan, or how his breath had made her shiver and his fingers made her moan. When she found her hands drifting downwards, her fingers beginning to explore oh so slowly, she cursed and turned the water off.

These dreams were driving her insane; something had to give.

RTOF

Stefan knew that Caroline was coming back to Mystic Falls today. Not only had Liz mentioned it, but so had Caroline's Twitter feed… and yes he followed her on Twitter. She hadn't given him a choice, even going so far as to sign him up and download the App. What was a little disturbing, however, was that he hadn't heard about it from her. There was some relief – Stefan wasn't sure he was ready to see the blonde, not when his nights were haunted with dreams of her either naked and writhing in his arms, or being the perfect mother to his perfect children – but that she hadn't spoken to him in almost two weeks was alarming.

Caroline rarely went one day without speaking to him… she felt it was her duty as his sober sponsor to keep constant contact. Not having that simply felt…

It felt wrong.

He sat in the Grill, ruminating on his life and how it had taken such a curve lately. He could see Matt watching him, but the quarterback hadn't commented on his brooding, and for that Stefan was thankful.

"Get me a double of whatever he's having."

They say speak of the devil, and he will appear. Apparently the same could be said of Caroline.

"You know I'm not supposed to serve you, Care," Matt said, but even as he spoke the words, he poured scotch into a glass for her.

"I have an in with the law, I'll keep you out of trouble," Caroline replied, and Stefan let himself look at her. He could see why Matt had served her with little argument; Caroline looked tired, as though she'd been having as much trouble sleeping as Stefan himself.

"Haven't heard from you in a while," Stefan commented, taking a sip of his drink.

"It turns out university is busy," Caroline replied with a smile, but it didn't reach her eyes, eyes that were refusing to meet his own, and belied the lie of her words.

"Hmmm… wanna try that again? Maybe with the truth?" Stefan suggested.

"Wanna get me drunk and then we'll see if I feel like talking?" Caroline replied before throwing back the entirety of her glass of scotch. Stefan raised his brows as she looked back at him with slightly raised brows, dangling the now empty glass between her fingers.

"Matt, want to give the lady another double?" Stefan asked. Matt looked between the two with a heavy sigh, before placing a bottle of scotch between them.

"I can't serve you guys, but I can leave this here. If it happens to disappear, well… just leave a good tip."

Matt wandered away again as Stefan poured scotch into the glass. She gave a wry smile and clinked her glass against his.

"Here's to getting wasted."

RTOF

They begin to feel it.

The young girl looked up from the game console she was playing, her eyes staring into the distance.

They begin to accept their role.

The middle aged woman was painting her nails, and her eyes went hazy with distance as well. The old woman, still at her wheel spinning that golden thread was the only one who didn't stop her activity. She hadn't needed sight to be able to spin in eons.

All eventually bow to fate.

RTOF

"What do you think of the name Lexie?"

Stefan looked at Caroline. It had taken two bottles of scotch and several sighs from Matt, but she finally seemed ready to talk.

"It belonged to my best friend, so I'm rather partial to it."

"I meant for a daughter. If you had a kid, would you name her that?"

Stefan thought of those dreams, the little boy with his hair and Caroline's eyes, and the little girl who was the spitting image of Caroline, and how she had been named for his best friend. He knew the smile he turned to Caroline was wistful, because they had been so happy in those dreams, but he couldn't fight it back.

"Yeah," he replied, reaching for her hand. "I would love that name for a daughter of mine."

His fingers touched hers, and suddenly it was like fire was running down their nerves.

"Mommy! Mommy! Look what I made!"

"Is that you and Will, Lexie?"

"Yup!" Lexie's smile was as brilliant as the sun as she held the picture up to Caroline, before she spun to Stefan so he could see it as well. "And there's you, daddy. See? And mommy, too. And you're hugging, because you always like to hug."

"I do like to hug," Caroline agreed, leaning down to Lexie and smiling up at Stefan over their daughter's head. "Would you like one now?"

Lexie threw her arms around Caroline, never needing to be asked twice for a hug.

Stefan tore his fingers from Caroline's, both of them reeling away from each other with a gasp. They stared at each other, both trying to reconcile their surroundings of the Grill with the memory of their children and the sunny home and the happiness. Their eyes refused to break, and Stefan began to move into towards her – he wasn't sure what for, but he suspected it was to pull her in and kiss her, as he so often did in the dreams.

"Are you guys okay?"

They both jumped, moving further apart when Matt's voice invaded their daze. He looked startled at their reaction, and looked between them.

"Okay," he said, taking the empty scotch bottle. "You guys are cut off."

"I-" Caroline began, but then stopped, still staring at Stefan. He saw her throat work quickly as she swallowed and then, as if the hounds of hell were on her heels, she stood and fled, never once looking back.

"What was that about?" Matt asked, staring after her retreating form incredulously.

"I'm not sure," Stefan replied, clenching and unclenching his fingers, where he could still feel the slight burn of her touch.

He was going to find out.

RTOF

Caroline paced up and down the sidewalk outside the grill… because what the hell had that been? Wasn't it bad enough that she had those dreams when she was sleeping, but now she was having them awake as well?

"It's bullshit!" she shouted angrily, ignoring Tina Fell and Josh Thompson as they walked around her, giving her a sideways look.

"What is bullshit?"

Caroline whirled around at Stefan's voice, and he leaned against the streetlight with a small smirk on his lips.

"I mean, there are lots of things you could mean. Your classes, for one. Or those shoes Tina Fell was wearing, because they really didn't go with her dress." When Caroline couldn't fight back her laughter and let out a giggle, Stefan straightened and stood next to her, though Caroline was careful not to touch him again, his smirk turning into a grin. Then he noticed the space between them, and the smile faded again. "Personally, I think the bullshit is how you just ran away from me in there… and now you're keeping distance between us. You haven't done that since you turned."

"Well… you see…"

"Normally touching me doesn't make you see a world where we're human, have kids?" Stefan reached out and grasped her upper arms, making her look at him. Caroline tensed for a moment, but when no more visions came she relaxed, and for some reason that made Stefan feel even angrier. "You saw it too, didn't you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Caroline replied stiffly, carefully avoiding eye contact.

"You know exactly what I mean. Would I name my daughter Lexie? Well, apparently, since I've been having dreams where I did. Where we did. Yeah, I thought that might get a reaction."

"You've been having them too?" Caroline said, breaking free from his hold but not stepping away. "You dreamt of them… of Will and Lexie?"

"Yes," Stefan replied. "And our life together."

"This is great!" Caroline said with a relieved laugh, clapping her hands together.

"It's… what… how is this great? It's been making you avoid me!"

"Well, yeah. Of course I have been. I thought I was having creepy happily-ever-after dreams about my best friend, but if you're having them too, then it has nothing to do with me! It's obviously the Travellers. Something must have happened to us – a spell or something, and that's why we're having them!"

Stefan stared at her wordlessly, wondering how such an intelligent girl could possibly be so… so… clueless.

RTOF

You have got to be kidding me!

The girl threw her game controller across the room.

She is not this big an idiot. I don't work with idiots.

The middle-aged woman huffed and scowled into the air.

The old woman merely smiled serenely and stopped her spinning, to grasp a gold thread out of the many. She took it and tied it neatly in a bow with another thread, smiling as the knot turned a deep, burning red.

Oh, I do so love happy endings.

RTOF

"You're kidding, right?" Stefan asked, staring at her blankly.

"Uh, no. Look, we just need to end whatever spell those assholes put on us, and then we can continue on with our lives. Go back to normal."

Caroline smiled that breath-taking smile, but it faded as Stefan shook his head rigorously.

"No," he said. "No. I don't want our lives to go back to normal. I don't want to wake up holding you and pretend that I hadn't just gotten the best sleep of my life. I don't want to pretend that it didn't feel right. That those dreams didn't feel right."

"Those dreams were of a life that we can't possibly have, Stefan!" Caroline half-screamed back. "Lexie? Will? They are an impossible dream! That's why we have to go back to normal."

"They weren't always there," Stefan said, his voice quieting as Caroline's grew louder. "Not every dream was about that life. I remember others. I remember just us, still happy. I remember sharing blood, and you can't tell me it didn't feel good. That it didn't feel right."

"They were dreams," Caroline whispered, backing up as Stefan began to stalk toward her. Her back hit the streetlight, and Stefan crowded her, one hand coming to rest above her head, the other on her waist.

"They don't have to be dreams," he said, leaning down so his lips were a whisper away from hers.

"And Elena? The universe wants you guys together. I'm not the type to defy the universe."

"Yes you are," Stefan replied, trapping his eyes with hers. "You never let anyone control you, why should the universe be any different? I dreamt of a life with you, not with Elena. And maybe we can't have the kids… but we can have the happiness." A small, mischievous smirk came to his lips. "We can have the sex."

"Oh?" Caroline looked up at him, amused despite herself. "I dunno… those dreams were pretty good. I'm not sure reality can compare."

"Oh, it can," Stefan replied, and he caught Caroline's lips with his, kissing her with all the passion that two weeks of dreams and sexual frustration had built in him. Caroline buried her fingers in his hair, just as she did in the dreams, and moaned against his lips. Stefan brought his other hand down, so they were both on her hips and pulled their pelvis' together. He growled against her lips at the sensation of being cradled by her, and he tilted his head so he could deepen the kiss even further.

"Shit… is this why you guys were acting so weird earlier?"

"Seriously, Matt?" Caroline demanded, breaking away from Stefan to glare at the hapless bartender, who held his hands up for peace.

"What? It surprised me… I guess Katherine was right. She thought you guys had a thing."

"I… Katherine?" Caroline replied incredulously.

"Yup," Matt replied cheerfully. "Guess she saw more than any of us. You two might wanna go elsewhere, though. I doubt your mom wants to arrest you for indecent exposure."

Caroline felt a shiver on stomach and looked down to see that Stefan had pushed her shirt up to just under her breasts to gain more access to her skin, and she pushed it down, feeling a flush in her cheeks as she glared at Matt who just smirked in response and gave them a wave over his shoulder.

"I think I might hate him a little right now," Stefan commented.

"Yeah," Caroline agreed uncomfortably, unsure what to do now that their haze had been interrupted.

"Are you going to run away again?" Stefan asked, seeing the uncertainty in her.

"This doesn't change the universe's desires."

"What about yours? You're Caroline Forbes… the universe itself wouldn't dare go against what you wish. It wouldn't have the guts."

"You have a lot of faith in me," Caroline commented, letting him tug her closer to him. He ran his fingers down her cheek and kissed her again.

"You're a force of nature, Caroline Forbes," Stefan replied. "And I would really like to get caught up in the storm. So… are you willing to take a risk? To take on the universe?"

"If you break my heart, I'll break you. Like really, I will snap you in half."

"I'm counting on it."

"In the dreams… you did this really amazing thing with your fingers. That something you can do in reality? Because it made my eyes roll?"

Stefan laughed and wrapped his arm around her waist, leading her toward privacy, where no more bartenders could interrupt them.

"Only if you do that thing with your tongue."

"Ooh, the swirl? Yeah, I think that can be arranged."

RTOF

The women sat in their house, while outside the skies darkened, as though the universe had decided to throw a temper tantrum.

Oh, get over yourself. You should have known better than to bet against fate.

The middle-aged woman was smug.

What did they mean by the tongue and fingers thing?

The young girl looked at the middle-aged woman with innocent curiosity, and she turned somewhat pale.

Ask me when you're me and I'm her, and I might answer.

The girl pouted while the old woman cackled. She set aside the threads she had tied together, their ends pooling into a pile on the floor, seemingly never ending. The red glow of the knot grew stronger with each second, and the sky outside grew darker and darker.

She's right. Get over yourself. You don't get to decide the fate of the world, that's our job.

She began to spin again, smiling serenely at her companions as the girl tried to wheedle the middle-aged women into explaining innuendo to her, and gave a content sigh.

She did so love when the fates won out over the universe.

AN: And there it is. I loved writing the fates, especially the old woman fate. I may have to write more of them. They're kinda like Shipper!Elena to write. This prompt came from Teamvampirebarbie22 over on Tumblr. It's one of my favorite blogs, and totally stans Caroline, so if you love Caroline, go and follow them.