"Who are you calling?" Stefan asked, walking towards the school entrance.

"My friend. I have been trying to reach her, but she is not picking up the phone." The girl had a worried tone and Stefan furrowed at that.

"Why don't you call your friend after a while?" He suggested.

"No, it can't wait. I am worried for her, Stefan."

"What's wrong, Elena?" Stefan asked and she sighed.

"It's my friend, Caroline. She…. She left the town few weeks before to stay for a while with her dad, and we thought that she wanted to give herself some space from this place, as she broke up with her ex-boyfriend who was MIA until now. We thought that was the only reason, but when I bumped into Tyler yesterday, and the way he was talking about things, I felt something was wrong, and there is more to the story." Elena tried to fill in Stefan. Stefan was attentive to the whole thing carefully.

"Don't worry about it, I am sure she will be fine. And if there is something she is hiding, then you can only wait till she tells you by herself, right?" His warm smile was making the effect on Elena.

"Yeah I think you are right." Elena said while keeping her head on his shoulder. Stefan loved the feelings when she touches him, it gives him warmth and strength. He was mesmerized with her eyes, and her beauty, and above all, her compassion for love.

"By the way, is this the same Caroline I have heard so much of a gossip around?" Asked Stefan suddenly.

Elena laughed at him.

"Good or the bad one?" She asked.

"Well, both actually."

"OK, tell me what have you heard about her and I will tell you if it is true or not." Elena suggested.

"No. I don't know her, so I am not going to say anything bad about her." He said finally.

"Ah, it means you have heard the bad things only. Well she is not an evil or something. She is just…. Caroline. She says what she thinks, and that sometimes makes her a mean girl for others. Me, Bonnie and her…. We are the trio. We have to accept all of it about each other… the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Stefan nodded at the thought. He had heard a lot about the girl. Caroline. There was something about that name, it was somehow sticking out in the whole crowd.

When he joined Mystic High, he never saw this girl but she was always in the news- The queen Bee of the Mystic High, the control freak, the mean girl left the school…. And things like "she wasn't good for Tyler anyways." "Tyler left her because of her shallowness." Stefan thought that maybe that's the reason she left the town at the first place. She couldn't handle the talks and wanted to run away from this. He felt sad for her even though he didn't know her, he didn't wanted her to feel pain.

"Well it's bad that she left before I could have met her. Seems like she is important to you, and anything important for you is part of my life too." Stefan said, while bringing his lips towards her.

"Oh, I will introduce you to her. It's not like we are running away anywhere. We are going to be together forever, Mr. Stefan Salvatore." Said Elena, while kissing him back. He put his hands on her waist and pulled her towards himself.

"I am not letting you go away from my life for an eternity, Ms. Elena Gilbert… it's a promise." He told her, and kissed her deeply.

Together…. forever…..

Our love is for eternity…

Eternity….. Eternity…..

His eyes opened wide at the echo of the voices in his head. For a moment, he thought it was for real, and he wasn't dreaming it. But it was all a dream. A memory to be specific, which was flashing in his head. He tried to get up, but his head was too heavy and he fell on the bed again.

After a while, he looked around himself. He was in his room, but he didn't remembered how he get back in his room at the first place. The last thing he remembered was that he was standing, or rather was trying to be standing on his legs in Skull Bar. He tried to focus, but his brain was too tired. He snapped out of his thoughts when he heard a noise outside his room. He got out of his bed, and went towards the source of the noise, which was coming from his kitchen. When he got there he saw a girl standing there. He rubbed his eyes with his fingers to get a clear vision.

For a second he thought it's another dream he is having, as he found the girl to be Caroline who was making French toast in his own kitchen. He opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out.

When Caroline turned around she saw him standing in front of her, and gaping at her. She has the coffee mug in one hand, and a plate with the French toast in another.

"I think you will be needing this." Said Caroline, bringing the coffee mug towards him. Stefan took the mug, looking at her questioningly.

"What are you doing in my apartment?" he asked sipping his coffee.

He ignored to look into her eyes. His mind was racing in wild directions assuming worst things which could have happened last night. He gulped at the thought that he might have got into a one- night stand, and he didn't even remembered anything. He tried to concentrate hard on the last night's events, but it was in vain.

"Uh, you are welcome, by the way." She said rolling her eyes in sarcasm.

"So, where does your pride stands now? A girl brought you home, after you passed away in the bar." She asked tilting her head and raising her eyebrows.

"Thanks for bringing me here." He mumbled while taking another sip of his coffee. "So, uh… what happened, when uh… I passed out last night?" he tried to asked her the question he was dreading to hear the answer for.

"Well, let's see… you passed out in skull bar, and fortunately I was there. When I saw that you were smelling like alcohol, I brought you here… in your apartment." She said with a matter of fact tone.

"So, that's what happened? Are you sure you are not missing out anything?"

"What do you expect would have happened more than that? I helped you, even though you treated me like a dirt, and you are throwing me investigative questions?" she said innocently. Caroline saw his expressions changed. He was looking at the floor with guilt. She couldn't understand what he was thinking, and why was she even bothering to be nice to him. But, she couldn't let him wasted in that bar, and so she brought him to his place. So much for an unwillingness to not help the person in need.

"I wasn't wearing this shirt yesterday." He said looking at his shirt, to which Caroline raised her eyebrow.

"That shirt was sweaty and smelling like vomit, so I gave you that shirt to wear from your dresser. Are you being pissed because I touched your stuff?" she asked with a raising anger. She couldn't believe him and his arrogant behavior.

"No, no…. I didn't meant that. I mean… never mind," he said unable to explain himself.

"Oh, my… God! Are you imagining that something happened between us last night? Ew, what do you think I am? Jump into bed with someone I barely know and take advantage of him while he is all drunk, and is not even himself at that time?" Caroline started blabbering in one breathe.

"Hey, hey… I didn't mean to say that. Please calm down. I appreciate what you did for me, even though I was such a jerk with you lately." Stefan was looking at the floor.

"Thanks for yesterday." He looked at her finally with a slight smile.

Caroline sighed looked at him. "Look, I don't know what problems you are dealing with in your life, but this has to stop, unless if you want to kill yourself or something. You should have some control on yourself." She wasn't sure how to continue but she did anyway.

"I know the feeling of the temptation, when nothing works to suppress the sadness in life, but believe me this is not a solution. I have done it and it didn't played out well for me. Anyways you should have some rest, and please try to stay away from your misery." She smiled and started heading towards the door.

"I wish I knew how to do that." Stefan whispered to no one in particular.

"So, how was your night with that hot neighbor?" Sarah ask mischievously.

"Nothing happened yesterday, and nothing is going to happen in the future either." Caroline was looking at the cup of coffee between her hands.

"Why? He looked decent, just a little bit drunk, but who am I to blame him when I was hit with the shots too." Sarah had a teasing tone in her voice.

"Yeah, well he is arrogant and weird, and…. I don't think he is my type either… and there is so much about him which is a mystery." Caroline sighed exhaling the long breathe which felt like she had been holding for a while.

"I have to figure it out soon." She thought to herself. Her phone rang and she saw Bonnie's name on the screen.

"I have to take this call. I will see you later." She bid Sarah and stood from her chair.

"Hey Bonnie, I was trying to reach you the whole night. Where the hell were you?" said Caroline the moment she picked up the phone.

"Um, Hello to you too, Caroline. Actually, my phone was on silent and didn't saw the missed calls until today morning, and since I was late for my shift, I couldn't call you back. I am sorry. Was there something important you wanted to tell me?" asked Bonnie.

"Um, nothing in particular. So…. How is Elena?" she asked, not knowing how to frame the real question she wanted to ask.

Last night when she brought Stefan home, he was mumbling about some phone call, and was getting uneasy in his dreams. She couldn't help herself in taking the phone out of his hands and look for some clues. Somehow her gut feelings told her to hit the last log button, and there was a call from an unknown number received sometime before he passed out. The area code was from Mystic Falls, and she thought it might be Damon, and she should give him a heads up about his brother. So, she called back on that number and cut the phone when she realized it was Elena's voice. Elena's voice was desperate and she was pleading him for forgiveness. She couldn't rest after that.

"Of course they will know each other, she is his brother's girlfriend. May be she called to check up on him."

"But then, what was she being sorry about? What happened between Stefan and Elena that she was being sorry for?"

The thoughts were fighting inside her head, trying to convince herself but couldn't. She might have heard him calling Elena's name when she brought him home, and couldn't help but wonder why he would dream about his own brother's girlfriend. So, she tried to reach Bonnie to dig something out.

"She is good, busy with her move in." Bonnie said.

"Move in to where?" Caroline asked

'She didn't told you?" Bonnie said in confusion.

"Told me what?" she asked again

"Maybe she will call you today, don't worry. It's her big news, she won't keep you away from it." Bonnie tried to convince her.

"I have no idea what you are talking about. Bonnie just spill the beans." She pleaded

"I can't Caroline, I am sorry." Said Bonnie

"Wait, you said that she is busy in her move in. Does that mean that she is moving in with DAMON?" she asked joining the pieces together. "How can she forget to tell me THIS?" she said angrily.

"Care, I said stop thinking too much, and wait for her call. Please?" Bonnie begged.

"Did you knew Damon has a brother?" Caroline asked finally unable to hold herself anymore.

"Stefan?" Bonnie said suddenly.

"You know him? How…. How do you know him?" Caroline was shocked to hear his name from Bonnie

"Um, he came to live here when you were at your dad's place." Said Bonnie

"Oh, that explains…. "Caroline said to herself.

"Explains what?" asked Bonnie

"Nothing. You know his brother, Stefan lives right in front of my apartment." She told Bonnie, but her mind was still trying to figure out why he would dream about Elena.

"What? Did you talked with him? Did he said something about Elena?" Bonnie asked her nervously.

"No…. why would he say anything about her. Is there something he should have said about her? Actually, now if I remember we never talked about Damon or Elena. And even though he knows that I know Damon, he never asked me how I knew his brother. " Her confusion was all over the place.

"Caroline, promise me you will talk to Elena first, before having any conversation with Stefan?" Bonnie said. She knew if Caroline got any ideas in her head and figured all out by herself, she will never talk to Elena for keeping this from her.

"Why? What are you guys hiding from me Bonnie? Just tell me." Said Caroline irritatingly.

"Its Elena's truth, and she should be the one to tell you Care. I am sorry, but I can't." Bonnie said softly.

"You know what, do whatever you guys want. Looks like you guys are keeping me out of the loop for a while now. I don't know what "truth" you are talking about, but I don't want to hear it now." Caroline said angrily and hung up without giving time to Bonnie for finishing her part of the conversation.

"You did what?" Damon asked furiously

"I had to Damon. He has the right to know about it. I didn't wanted him to get the news of our move in from someone else." Elena said while sitting on the sofa. Damon sighed and sat next to her.

"How did he took the news?" he asked and peeked at her dreading for her response.

"Not good. He already knew about it. He feel nothing but hate for me, Damon." Her eyes were filled with fresh tears now. Damon wiped her tears from the back of his hand.

"Hey, at least you tried." He said softly.

"It's not enough. I love him. We both love him, Damon. And he has shut us out of his life. I want the best for him. "She said in a sad voice.

"I know that. But, I hope time will heal the pain of my little brother." He said wishing things would have got better between him and his brother. "I think your phone is ringing." He told Elena when he heard the ring.

"Hey Bonnie, what's up?" Elena asked while wiping her tears away.

"Elena, there is something you need to know." Said Bonnie urgently.

Stefan was opening the door, when he bumped into Kol.

"Hey mate, you show watch where you are going." Kol was a kid, and Stefan didn't wanted to mess with him, so he told him a single word "Sorry" and started to move on his way.

"And by the way, I don't want my bike to be touched by anyone other than me." Stefan mentioned it to Kol before taking the stairs, and added "Be careful while you execute your evil plans, kid."

Caroline was in a deep thought when she heard a knock on her door. She came out of her room to open the door. Stefan was standing in front of her smiling at her shyly.

"hey." He said

"Hey" she said imitating him

"I uh, wanted to apologize for misbehaving with you before, and also thank you for the last night. So, I hope you like it." He said and brought his hands with a box wrapped in a gift cover in front of her. Caroline gaped at her, but took the box.

"I… uh, thanks, but you didn't had to do this." She said smiling at him.

He had the same little smile she saw him wearing the last time they were together… in her car.

"I think we started on a wrong page." He peeked at her confused face.

"So, let me re-introduce myself again. I am Stefan Salvatore, and I have been here for one year, and would like to be a good neighbor." Caroline laughed at him and shook her head.

"And I am Caroline Forbes, I have been here for about one year, and before that I lived in a small town named Mystic Falls in-"

"-Virginia. I know. I know that you are from Mystic Falls." said Stefan before she finished it.

"How do you know that?" She knew he has been in Mystic Falls, and must have heard something about her from Damon or others in the school, but she wanted to know what exactly he knows about her from his own mouth.

"I lived for 2 years over there, moved there when I was 17 actually, when my dad started a new branch of his business over there." Stefan said.

"And how do you know about me just by living there?" she was digging more.

"I have heard about you in school. About your famous organization skills." He said teasingly, and Caroline smiled on it.

"I need a favor from you." Stefan asked, and when Caroline nodded in encouragement to ask the question, he continued.

"In the morning you said that I need to stop drinking, and I am unable to do it on my own. I can't go for a shrink or someone, because, I have some issues with my father, and if he get to know the situation I have brought myself into, he would rather lock me up in a mental hospital. You said in the morning that you had the drinking problems too, but you controlled yourself." He was looking directly in her eyes now.

"Yeah, what can you expect from a control freak." She said laughing nervously. She didn't knew where the conversation was heading and that was making her panicky.

"I want you to help me get through my urges. I saw you last night how you protected your friend, and even though you were in the bar, you had the hold on yourself and didn't lose it even for a second. It looks like you are so good at it, and…. I want to be normal again. When I drink, I get into fights and I hurt people around me. So, I want you to stop me from losing control." He took a step forward and looked in her eyes with hope. "I want you to help me in stopping myself in becoming a monster." His desperation was painted all over his face, his mind and heart hoping, that her answer would be in his favor.