Chapter 21

The hours all mewled into one until it was late afternoon. Fortunately there hadn't been any more incidents between Katherine and Caroline. Katherine seemed to have shrunken in on herself and hadn't spoken since she and Stefan had, had their talk. Stefan was about to call the sudden adventure a success when suddenly out of nowhere Katherine veered the car off the road alongside a shabby looking motel.

"Why are we stopping?" Stefan turned towards Katherine.

Katherine gripped the steering wheel so tight that her knuckles were suddenly turning white. Memories had been plaguing her since her and Stefan's talk. She knew she needed to do something before she could carry on. She owed it to him and Caroline.

"I'm dropping you two here." Katherine gestured towards the motel.

Caroline glanced wearily out the window towards the motel and pulled her face up in disgust.

"At a crappy motel?" Caroline asked with disgust.

Katherine glanced in the rear view mirror with raised eyebrows.

"Good observation skills, Caroline." Katherine said with a sarcastic edge to her voice.

"Katherine, what is going on?" Stefan asked confused.

Katherine couldn't look at Stefan. So she stared forward towards the road ahead before she continued talking.

"There's something I've got to do before we get to Portland and I need to do it alone."

Caroline scoffed.

"So you're just abandoning us?" Caroline rolled her eyes.

This was so typical of Katherine.

"Don't get your knickers in a twist. It will only take a few hours and I promise I will come and collect you two when I'm done and we'll be off to Portland to save the precious Elena." Katherine sighed.

"Why can't we go with?" Stefan asked.

"Because it doesn't concern you! Now get out!" Katherine raised her voice angrily and leaned over and opened Stefan's door.

Stefan grabbed Katherine's wrist and glared at her.

"No! What is so important?" Stefan could feel a pulse in his brain that was angrily throbbing against his temple. It felt like his control was slipping – almost as if he was falling into ripper territory again.

"Get out the car now!" Katherine shouted as Stefan's grip tightened on her wrist painfully. Katherine wasn't stupid – she could see the change happening in his eyes, the descent into ripper hell was boarding on the edge.

Caroline could sense immediately that Stefan was losing control. She moved forward in her seat and touched him on his shoulder.

"Stefan ... let's just get out." Caroline whispered as reassuringly as she could given the intense situation that they were in.

Her touch and words instantly calmed Stefan. He loosed his grip on Katherine's wrist. Katherine pulled her arm away. She could feel the tremors threatening to take over. For a second there she was truly convinced that he was going to kill her.

"Listen to her. I've got a good few years behind me and I won't hesitate to snap your neck or hers." Katherine breathed out trying to restore control over them.

Without questioning Katherine, Caroline climbed out the car and waited for Stefan. When he opened his car door he stepped out and instantly fell into Caroline's arms as if he couldn't hold himself up anymore. Katherine glanced at Caroline's face and instantly she could see what Stefan meant to her. Caroline loved him and he relied on her. Katherine shook her head angrily. She couldn't think about what the consequences could mean and what she needed to do was to find her answers. So without a second thought in her mind, she shifted the car into drive and sped off leaving the two behind her.

Caroline waited as Stefan calmed down. His body became less tense and his breathing became less shallow and fuller as she held on to him. A silence fell over the pair. Stefan didn't know what to say or how to explain what had just happened back in the car with Katherine.

"She rode off with our luggage." Caroline broke the silence.

It worked because instantly a small grin appeared on Stefan's face.

"You're worried about your clothes?" He asked.

He didn't know what it was but she had a way of lighting the mood instantly. He was grateful that she hadn't mentioned the almost ripper take over.

"Yes this whole thing is awful. We should have never gotten in the car with her." Caroline rolled her eyes.

Stefan kissed the side of her temple affectionately before moving out of her warm embrace.

"We'll let's just go get a room and wait her out. Maybe she is coming back or she isn't, till then we just wait."

There was no point stressing about Katherine at the moment. He would wait and hold her to her word but if she didn't return then he and Caroline would have to come up with another plan that consisted of grand theft auto.

"We don't have any money Stefan. How are we going to rent a room?" Caroline asked panicked.

Stefan laughed before placing two fingers to his temple.

"Compulsion." He answered simply.

"Oh ... right. Sorry blonde moment." Caroline scolded herself.

Stefan couldn't help it as he let out a loud snort of laughter. Caroline glared at him.

"You're laughing at me?" She asked annoyed.

Stefan moved forward and pulled her into his arms before whispering;

"No you make me happy."

Stefan and Caroline made their way towards their room that they had rented from the front desk. Caroline had been forced to compel the older woman seeing that she had more control over her human blood take meaning that it was easier for her to compel humans without making them all fuzzy and confused.

They opened the door of number twenty three and Caroline instantly wrinkled her nose at the smell that wafted from the room.

"It reeks in here." Caroline scowled.

"No it doesn't. " Stefan argued.

Caroline placed her hands on her hips before quizzically giving Stefan her; 'what the hell look.'

"Well either you've got the vampire sniffles or my sense of smell is more heightened than yours." Caroline said sarcastically.

Stefan didn't say anything and instead moved towards the bed and seated himself on the edge of bed. Instantly Caroline was filled with shame there was obviously something troubling him.

"I'm sorry." Caroline whispered as she seated herself alongside him.

"What are you apologizing for?" Stefan asked genuinely confused.

"For me. I'm carrying on like a sulky three year old." She shrugged her shoulders.

Stefan grabbed her hand in his.

"You don't ever have to apologize to me, Caroline." He answered.

Nothing she did could never truly make him angry.

"What's wrong, Stefan?" She asked after awhile.

"I've just been thinking about how messed up things are." He answered solemnly.

"You mean with us?" Caroline asked hesitantly.

"No never us." He squeezed her hand reassuringly.

"Then what?" She had a feeling that it had something to do with Katherine.

Stefan sighed before he answered;

"When Katherine's around I guess she just brings up all the terrible things I've done. Memories of how I killed my father. Childhood memories of how I never got to really know my mother and then there's Damon." Stefan ran a hand down his troubled face before he continued, "It's been over a hundred years and we still haven't been able to mend what was broken between us."

"You miss having your brother then?" Caroline asked.

She didn't have any siblings so her childhood had been really lonely. She had envied lots of other kids growing up; she'd pictured having a big brother who would torment her to no ends and having a little sister who would steal her clothes. Being an only child did have its perks but it was a quiet life and she wished that she had, had someone when her parents had split.

"I just can't help but think that maybe I was better off dead all those years ago. That maybe I was never meant to live. "Stefan frowned.

Caroline gasped horrified.

"Don't ever say that! You're meant to be here and yes it hasn't been an easy time but when is life ever easy? Just don't sell yourself short, Stefan. There are too many people who would be devastated if you just vanished. Damon included. He needs you and you need him. It might not seem like it but in a weird way you've both gone back on your words about killing each other because you both know that without the other you're not the Salvatore brothers." Caroline leaned closer into his side.

Stefan moved his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close to him.

"You're too good for me. You know that right?" He whispered into her hair.

Caroline shook her head before answering;

"I think we're just right for each other."

"Do you think we could sleep together?" Stefan asked seriously pulling back and looking into her grey eyes.

"Stefan!" Caroline made a shocked expression before grinning.

"I meant with eyes shut and you snoring." He laughed softly.

"I knew what you meant and for your information I don't snore ... That loud."

An: So I just had to get my butt in gear after all the great reviews for the last chapter! So thank you all for the encouragement. So Katherine is a bit testy isn't she? Hmm wonder what she did? And I just wanted to show a lighter side of Steroline without the lust and tension between them. Because even though they have great sexual tension together there are a lot of softer moments that happen between them on the show. So I just wanted to incorporate that into the story so that there wasn't just lust brewing between them that there is genuine feelings going on.

I hope you all have an amazing weekend and hope you enjoyed this chapter!