Hello, my lovelies. We're almost there at the end of the story. Technically speaking this is the last chapter. However, there is an epilogue to wrap things up… and then duh duh "The Last Resort" begins. So, please, if you're still out there, somewhere, on a planet far, far away, send me a review. I love you all and it has been a lot of fun. Therefore this is just the beginning and, yes, I am rambling. You might also want to check out my first crossover event for TVD/TO called "The New Old Fashioned Way." (It's my tribute to Christmas) -if you haven't already.

Enjoy the chapter and I'll see you at the bottom.

Chapter 35: Starting Over

Elena Gilbert sat on her front porch. She was tapping her left foot impatiently. Every time a car drove by she would jump up and peer into the car. So far none of the people had been her friends. Stefan came out with a cup of coffee. "Thanks," she said before taking up her vigil again. Suddenly she heard a familiar engine. Stefan took her coffee cup back before she was running off the porch and into the yard. Damon's Camaro came into sight and she was running down the street. Damon pulled over and climbed out. Elena flung herself into his arms.

"Damon." Elena was staring into Damon's eyes before he leaned down and kissed her gently on the lips.

"Hey, Elena," Caroline whispered. Damon let go of his girlfriend as she threw herself forward to embrace her friend. Bonnie climbed out of the car and Elena held out an arm to her.

"Group hug." Kol exclaimed. "Come on, Damon." They all stayed that way for a couple of minutes before Caroline needed to step out.

"Elena, I am so sorry. I can't think of what to say or do to make up for what I did." Caroline was crying again. "Damn it. I hate crying like this all the time."

Elena put an arm around her friend's shoulders. "Just don't shut us out again. I told you, Care, we will always be there for you." Elena took Bonnie's hand. Bonnie took Caroline's hand.

"We're going to be friends forever." Bonnie told the other two girls.

Caroline laughed. "I want some peanut butter."

"Not again." Tyler moaned. "Isn't there any other kind of food you want?"

Caroline thought about it. "I could go for one of Kol's special sandwiches."

Everyone else wrinkled their faces. "Ugh. Ew. God. No." Came the chorus.

Kol frowned. "They are not that bad. Okay. Everybody. Back into the car. We are going to Vampire Burger."

"Huh?" Bonnie asked.

Kol sighed. "I'm sorry. Amp Burger."

Caroline laughed. "So, the real name of the restaurant is Vampire Burger?"

Bonnie grinned. "I knew it. That logo of yours really freaked me out the first time I saw it. Of course after a while, it grew on me." Bonnie stood on her toes to kiss Kol on the lips.

Kol grinned after he and Bonnie let go of each other. "I wanted to call the restaurant Vampire Burger but Lijah, Bekah and … voted against me. Then they wouldn't even allow me to name it Vamp Burger. So, it became 'Amp Burger."

After the discussion they all piled into the car and drove to the store. It was empty. Kol looked around the restaurant. "Where is everyone?" He asked.

Elena felt awkward. "We kind of all quit a couple of days ago."

"What?" Kol cried. "My store has been shut down for days and no one told me." He slumped down in one of the booths. 'So, it's over,' he thought. He looked at the faces of Damon, Caroline, Elena and Bonnie. Their working relationship was over but he could now say that he had friends and a steady girlfriend, so, things had not turned out so bad in the end. He pushed himself to his feet. "I need to make Caroline her sandwich.

While Kol was behind the counter he received a text from Klaus. It read:

Kol,

Bekah, Lijah and I have boarded a flight to Italy. I will text you the location of where we will be staying.

Nik

Kol shoved his phone back into his pocket. Bonnie came behind the counter to stand with him. "Hey, how's the sandwich going?"

Kol smiled down at it. "It's lovely. Would you like one?"

Bonnie shook her head. "No, thank you. So, where are they?"

Kol decided to feign ignorance in case the others were listening. "They're out of the country."

"Are you going, too?" Bonnie gazed up at Kol, the worry obvious in her tone and in her facial expression.

Kol looked at the sandwich. "Do you want me to go?"

Bonnie took one of his hands in hers. "I don't ever want you to leave me."

Kol smiled. "Then I shall not ever leave you my little Witchy." He wrapped the sandwich and brought it out to Caroline.

"Croutons." Caroline exclaimed and before she could say strawberry shake Damon whizzed behind the counter and was back in the blink of an eye. He had a fist full of crouton bags in one hand and a shake in the other.

"Thanks." Caroline said.

Damon smiled and then leaned over and whispered in her ear when the others weren't listening. "You can name him after me."

Caroline choked on her food. "What?" She exclaimed. Damon just smiled at her.

After Caroline got done with her meal, they decided to take advantage of the pool one last time. Everyone stripped down to their underwear and jumped into the pool. Elena suggested they chicken fight and Damon swam under her. She, Damon, Bonnie and Kol engaged in the first fight. Then it was Caroline and Tyler's turn. Elena grinned at Caroline. "Are you ready?"

Caroline laughed. "Let's go, Gilbert." Caroline knocked Elena into the water within the first two minutes. Caroline cheered. "I am the new chicken champion." Elena challenged her to a rematch and they went another five rounds before Elena gave up.

They all climbed out of the pool. "Where are you guys going on your vacation?" Damon inquired.

Elena and Bonnie turned to Caroline. "Oh my God. I totally forgot to find a great place for us. Argh."

Elena patted her on the shoulder. "It's okay, Care, we have faith that you will find an awesome place for us to stay."

Bonnie grinned. "Of course she will. She's Caroline Forbes and Caroline Forbes understands fabulous."

Caroline giggled. "Okay. You can cut it out now." She then frowned. "But I don't think we made enough money this summer."

"If you need money. I will be happy to help out." Kol informed the group.

Elena put up a hand. "It's okay. I have it covered."

Caroline's eyebrows rose. "How?"

Elena smiled at her friend. "Elijah gave me a check before he left." She believed that not telling Caroline the truth about where the money came from was for the best at the moment.

"Oh," Caroline said. She would miss Elijah. Not in the same way she missed Klaus but she would miss him. He had become a close friend and the idea that she would never see him again, hurt.

"Well," Caroline said, getting up. "I need to get home and begin researching our dream destination." Everyone waved as she walked away. To be honest Caroline wanted to take a walk by herself and think about the events of the summer and something that Damon had said was bothering her. She decided to let that last bit simmer for a while. What she wanted was to really focus on where they were going for the rest of the summer.

'A beach,' Caroline thought. 'A nice, warm beach with sand underneath her feet. But where?' Then it hit her. Italy. That was where Damon and Stefan's family was from and they had great food. Her belly rumbled and she hurried home. She went up to her room after finding another jar of peanut butter. After turning on her computer she began to look at hotels. She found one that was formerly known as the Amore Resort. She was relieved that they had changed the name.

There was no way Caroline was going to stay at a resort called the love resort. It would now be called the Rosa Rossa Villagio Vacanze or the Red Rose Resort. It looked beautiful in the pictures and the view was to die for. Caroline found herself packing her bags after finding the place. Unfortunately, she seemed to be jetlagged because she went to sleep half an hour later.

One week later:

"Caroline," Liz called from downstairs.

"I'm coming, Mom." Caroline called.

"Bonnie and Elena are here." Liz yelled.

"Okay, I'll be down in a minute." Caroline called back. 'Seriously, could people not give her like five minutes?' She thought. She had been packed and ready to go for six days. But now she was locked in the bathroom. She yawned for the twentieth time.

"Caroline," Bonnie called from right outside the door.

"I'll be right out." Caroline shouted. Did they ever give up? Come on. Come on. Come on. She was staring at the time on her cell phone. Could it be any slower? She wanted to check the time on her clock in her bedroom but then she would have to go out and she wasn't done. Finally, the number clicked into place and she looked down at the stick.

Caroline's heart began to race as she looked at the stick. 'Stupid, stupid stick.' She thought. She picked it up and then threw it into the trash. She grabbed some toilet paper and threw it on top. Then she flushed the toilet and cleaned her hands. After opening the door she grinned at her best friends. "Hey, guys."

Bonnie looked concerned. "Do you feel okay, Care?"

Caroline rolled her eyes. "I feel great. Now, let's go. I don't want to be late." They ran downstairs and climbed into Damon's car. Elena, Bonnie, Caroline and Liz were in the back. Stefan was sitting in the front.

"Alaric, Jenna and Jeremy are meeting us at the airport." Damon announced.

"Where's Kol?" Caroline asked.

"He's signing Amp Burger over to its new owner." Bonnie informed the group. "And Tyler and Mayor Lockwood are also meeting us at the airport."

Caroline began to giggle. "What's so funny?" Liz asked her daughter.

"We're taking the sheriff and the Mayor with us. How will the town survive?" Caroline giggled again.

Liz rolled her eyes. "I love you, too." She placed an arm around her daughter.

Caroline looked out the window and subconsciously began to rub her stomach. "Do you think they have peanut butter in Italy?"

Damon chuckled. "I filled a bag with the stuff. I figure if Stef's hair products can make it through customs what's fifty jars of peanut butter?" Caroline leaned forward and hugged Damon from behind tightly. "Okay, Blondie. Unless you want to end up in a ditch rather than the airport you might want to let me go."

Everyone laughed. It felt good to be free of worry and fear for a while. When they got to the airport Tyler came over to their group. "Hey, everyone. Does anyone speak Italian?"

"Nope," Damon said and Stefan shook his head.

Caroline pulled out some travelers' dictionaries and handed them around. "When in doubt compel someone to translate."

Carol Lockwood was looking around at the other travelers as if they would infect her. Damon sidled up to her. "Hello, Mayor. You look a little out of place."

Carol relaxed. "Yes, I will have to say that I am not fond of airports."

Damon smirked. "That makes two of us." He pulled out his flask. "That's why I have this." He offered it to her.

Carol looked at the flask. "I couldn't … Well, maybe a tiny sip." Soon she was giggling at whatever Damon said and then she was sound asleep.

"What was in that flask?" Tyler asked Damon.

Damon shrugged. "Bourbon and sleeping pills. I figured it would be the only way if she were out through the flight."

Tyler smiled. "Why didn't I think of that?" They made their way back to the rest of the group. Alaric and Jenna looked happy. Jeremy was on his phone. Everyone thought he was playing a video game the way that he kept hitting buttons. Only Kol, who looked over his shoulder, noticed that he was texting Rebekah.

Matt came up to the group. "Sorry, I'm late. My alarm didn't go off."

Elena patted him on the shoulder. "You made it. That's the important part. We're all here together." She was glowing as she looked at her friends and family. Damon winked at her and she blushed.

"Ready to join the mile high club?" Damon muttered with a grin.

Elena laughed. "Why not?"

They boarded the plane and Caroline found herself in a window seat next to Bonnie. "Are you ready to get out of the country?"

"Am I ever?" Caroline replied with a grin. She fastened her seat belt and then looked out the window. Her mind wondered back to the stick in her trash can. The stick that had a very definite plus sign. She bit her lip, looking out the window wondering where in the world Klaus was and how he would react if he ever found out that he was going to be a father.

Ta dah. I hope you loved the twist. It is a major part of the sequel and why Caroline is going to have yet another reason to have to run from Klaus.

Thank you Klaroline-lovegames, WeasleysGroupie and ChristenInBlood. Your support is what keeps me coming back with new chapters.

Love,

LL