Chapter 6

The warm rays of the sun seeped over Caroline's bare legs. She grumbled in her sleep. Her head was aching – which could only mean that she had hit the bottle hard the previous night. Grudgingly she opened her eyes, the light instantly hit her eyes. She frowned. Had she forgot to close the curtains from the night before?

A slow sweep of uncertainty passed when Caroline realized that she was not at home. She was in someone else's room, someone's bed that was not hers. When she glanced beside her, her heart seized up and she felt a cold tremor spiraling up her spine. What the hell had she done?

Next to her lay the peaceful, porcelain face of Stefan. Caroline glanced down at her naked body and his and she felt the shame creeping on her. How could she have slept with him? He wasn't even Stefan … he was ripper him. And what about Elena? How could she have done this?

Caroline hastily climbed out of bed, but discreetly enough that she did not make a sound. All she knew that she needed to get out of here. There was no way that she could risk speaking to him. The ripper would only ridicule her and gloat at his success of finally bedding her. Caroline just knew that she couldn't face that right now, not in the state that she was in.

She had only located her jeans and her undergarments, but her beautiful silk top was shred into pieces. The shame just flared even higher – how could she have done this. Was she really that despicable and desperate? Carefully moving around the bed towards his side, she located his black t-shirt from the night before and slipped it on.

Caroline glanced one more time towards Stefan … no the Ripper. Why did it have to have happened like this? She turned towards the door and fled, but before she could make it all the way down the stairs. A presence halted her.

"Barbie? What are you doing here?" Damon asked curiously as he spotted the blonde retreating down the stairs.

He had been nursing a glass of scotch, pondering over his brother's change of heart. Also he was a little disappointed that Stefan was having all the fun now. Oh how the roles had reversed.

"Don't call me that." Caroline hissed. Why of all days did she have to bump into Damon?

"Come on Barbie, let's go party." He wiggled his hips as he sang the ever popular song.

Caroline's temper flared. Not only at his remark but also by the fact that he was singing at the top of his lungs. She so did not want Stefan, no the ripper, to come down the stairs and tell his brother that he also had a piece of her. Although how she ever slept with Damon, she would never know. Thank goodness vampirism seemed to have matured her somewhat.

She grabbed a book from the nearest table and flung it, so that it went spiraling towards Damon's head. Predictably he moved out of the books path. Damn vampire speed and flexibility.

"Why do you keep throwing things at me? First a lamp and now, Macbeth. What did he ever do to you?" Damon asked, amused by her feistiness.

"For one thing, you're gonna end up like Macbeth with your head impaled on a fork. Secondly when I see your face, I feel inclined to throw things at it." She rolled her eyes.

"Oh my God." Damon said suddenly.

"What?" Caroline looked behind her. Stefan wasn't there. She breathed out relived.

"You actually read Macbeth? What is the world coming to?" He clutched his chest with fake exaggeration.

Caroline rolled her eyes. Until she spotted one of his prized possessions. With her vampire speed she reached the bar where his precious bottle of scotch stood. She gripped the bottle in her hand and was prepared to launch it at him. And this time she was determined that she wasn't going to miss.

"No ah ah ah. Not that bottle. I'll play nice." Damon held his arms out in defense. No one brought harm to his glass beauties.

"Like that's even possible." Caroline placed the bottle back on the counter top.

"So how can I help you? You're in my house after all. Common courtesy and such…" He asked.

"I was uh … looking for Elena." She hesitated.

"You figured she would be here? Under this roof with the ripper about?" He asked with raise eyebrows.

"You're right. I wasn't thinking."

"Clearly." He said sarcastically.

"Well I'd better go." Caroline began to leave, when Damon stopped her.

"What's the rush?" He asked suspiciously.

"I've got things to do." She lied. Caroline turned on her heel and made her exit. There was no way that she was staying around any longer, especially when Damon was in his curious mode.

Damon watched her leaving. Something wasn't right. Not that was an expert at reading people's emotions, especially female vampires. He couldn't compel them and well truthfully where was the fun in that? He did however wonder what was up with Caroline's sense of style. He'd never seen her in a baggy t- shirt and jeans before? Perhaps it was the latest fashion trend he thought. Then again he really didn't care.

Damon was about to go off and check in with Liz, when he heard a knock on the door. What did the Barbie forget now?

The three knocks registered in Stefan's sleep altered mind. He stirred awake. The minute his green eyes opened though, a rush of memories engulfed him. He found himself reliving every single thing that he had done, what the ripper had turned him into. The blood curling lust for blood, the remorseless heart he walked around with, his victims screams the unsettling but overtaking induced sexual lust he felt when he thought of Caroline.

"Caroline?" Stefan whispered as the previous night's events swirled into the forefront of his mind.

Her warmth. Her kisses. The way she fitted perfectly to him. The way she seemed to complete him.

Stefan glanced around the room, panicked. Where was she? Had she left already?

How could he have done such a thing? He had always considered Caroline one of his closest friends. How in the world was he going to rectify this? Everything else he did, did not compare to the gut wrenching guilt he felt now.

He just knew that he had to go and see her, but he had no idea what to expect. But he couldn't just ignore this. He just couldn't. Stefan pulled on his jeans, dug a shirt out from his drawer and made his way down the stairs. But he was stopped short when he happened upon his brother and Elena.

'Oh my God. Elena?" He thought as the guilt swallowed him completely whole.

"Elena?" He said breathless.

"Stefan… Oh my God Stefan!" Elena gasped and embraced him. He was back. She couldn't believe it. Her wishes had been answered. After months of doubt and pain, Stefan was back in her life and that's all that mattered.

"I'm so sorry. I … I don't know what to say or do." He apologized. Although he didn't know what he was apologizing for, for being the ripper and killing or for sleeping with Caroline? Her best friend.

"Don't worry. Please. I'm so happy you're back." She didn't care about any of it. She was just happy that the old Stefan was back. All the drama of the last few months was not important. Not now.

"How exactly are you back?" Damon finally spoke.

It may have sounded blunt and to the point but he couldn't help but wonder how 'dear old Stefan' was back. After all this time?

"I don't know. I woke up and everything was there. I was me again." Stefan shrugged. Truth was he didn't know how he got his humanity back. He didn't understand how sleeping with Caroline could coax his humanity back on. It should have send him darker into the abyss, but it hadn't. It was as if she saved him.

"Hmm." Damon was apprehensive. Something didn't make sense.

"Damon, you can't tell me you're not glad that Stefan is back." She said exasperated by the older Salvatore's lack of joy at his brother's return.

Stefan could see the doubt in his brother's eyes. The uncertainty of what all this meant. After all it did seem like a miracle that he suddenly was himself again. He knew that sleeping with Caroline must have done something to him. He just didn't understand why?

"Well he'll need to detox first. Human blood is still in his system. Can't be too sure, the ripper might be hiding under the façade." Damon said stiffly. He didn't want to get his hopes up too soon. He needed to get all the fact straight before he could rejoice at having his brother back. But for now, everything was still up in the air.

"Damon." Elena scolded.

"No. He's right. I have to go through the process again. Start little by little again with a combination of animal and human blood. It won't last if I don't do this properly." Stefan agreed.

"We can do this together, Stefan. You're not alone on this." She said reassuringly.

Stefan found it difficult to look into her deep and trusting eyes. Would she still be looking at him if she knew the truth? He didn't know if she would be able to forgive him, let alone Caroline. The two didn't have the easiest of friendships. In fact ever since he stepped into town, he was pretty sure that he was the cause of their strain. He knew that Caroline used to have a crush on him when she was human, he would catch her looking at him in class. How her cheeks would flush pink if he caught in the act.

Even after Damon had, had his way with her she still had looked at him with doe like eyes. However once she had changed into a vampire, she had seem to have moved on. She hadn't been looking for appraisal from anyone anymore. She had changed into a beautiful and fierce woman. A woman that had attracted the likes of his ripper self.

"Yeah. That might not be a good idea." Damon rolled his eyes.

"Why not? I helped him before. I can do it again." She questioned him.

"You have got things that you need to deal with first, aka a hybrid who is planning to use you as his personal blood bag. The plan was that we were going to meet up with Katherine. Remember?" He said with emphasis.

"That can wait. Just a few more days." She pleaded.

"Fine. But he needs someone else to help him. Caroline." Damon quipped.

"What?" Stefan loudly exclaimed at the mention of Caroline's name.

"Caroline. She's a master at the self-control thing. I think she can help you." Damon said curiously. His brother's reaction had surprised him.

He was fairly positive that Stefan had a soft spot for her. After all he had stopped Damon from killing her.

"Caroline is the obvious choice, Stefan." Elena agreed. If there was anyone who could help Stefan when it came to his diet and control, it was Caroline.

"Is something the matter? You're looking rather pale brother?" Damon probed, curious to see what his brother was hiding.

It was never a good idea to get Damon curious. He was like a tom cat with infinite lives.

"I'm fine." Stefan lied. He was far from fine.

"Then it's sorted. I'll call Barbie and we can set up a date." Damon said.

"A date?" Stefan croaked out.

"So that you can talk and be all melodramatic." Damon reached for his phone.

"Actually, I'll go talk to her now. If you don't mind." Stefan interjected. He needed to speak to Caroline first. He didn't know what he was going to say, but ignoring it wasn't going to make it any less difficult than it already was.

"Whatever. Don't stop for snacks on the way." Damon scowled before exiting the room.

"I'm sorry about him. He's being … Damon I guess." She shrugged.

"He's got every right to be that way towards me. I'm standing in his way." Stefan answered immediately.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"He's in love with you. And I think you have feelings for him too. I know what happened between the two of you. Katherine told me about the kiss."

"It was just a kiss, Stefan. I thought he was going to die. It was a goodbye kiss." She whispered, ashamed at herself.

"But he didn't die." Stefan answered quietly. He knew he was guiltier when it came to what he had done. Perhaps he needed to do this. Just so he could clear his head and heart for a second. He just knew he couldn't tell her, he didn't want there to be problems between Caroline and Elena.

"I know. But it doesn't change the way I feel about you." She reached for him, but Stefan moved away. He couldn't bare her touch right now. He felt ill. The question swirled in his head, how could he have done this to her? Perhaps he really was a monster.

"I can't be the man you want me to be right now. Damon's right. There are things that I need to deal with before I can move on." He said determined.

"I understand. I love you, Stefan. I'll be waiting for you." She nodded.

Stefan stepped back and away from her. She was too good for him, he didn't deserve her. But he had to face the music. He had to face Caroline.

An: Hmm so what's next for our duo? Hehehe you'll have to find out next week. Thanks again for the great reviews and support