Hey guys! Sorry I haven't updated in a bit, I've been swamped with driving school, and just normal school! I did my best to finish up this chapter! I hope you enjoy, and remember reviews make my day and motivate me to write faster! c; i'll add klaus' part -when i get done with it - to the same chapter as the first part.

Previously on Everything Changes...

He didn't reply for a moment. "Sorry. I can't find her anywhere, and neither can Bonnie. Where are you?"

"I'm fine Stefan. I'll be home soon."

I hung up, rolling my eyes. He didn't even care about me, only wanted to know if little Elena was okay. Wow. Just wow.

Third Person POV

Inside the bar, Damon was listening into the conversation. When he asked her about Elena, he furrowed his brows.

Why would Elena be with them?

Damon heard the phone ring again, and Caroline answered with a huff.

"What?"

He hardly heard Stefan's reply.

"Sorry Caroline, Jenna and Bonnie are just asking a million questions I can't answer." the younger brother sighed. "Tell me where you are, and I can come and get you."

Damon stared hard at the blonde's reflection in the glass portrait hanging on the wall. She shifted her weight onto another leg and ran her fingers through her hair.

"How am I connected to Katherine and Chandra, Stefan? Damon won't tell me much."

There was silence on the other line, and she growled lowly in frustration. "Fine. Don't tell me then. Guess I'll have to just show the picture to Elena myself when I get home."

He smirked. Wow, Blondie was being devious. Didn't she know curiosity almost always killed the cat?

Stefan made some noise of protest, and she took a deep breath.

"Whatever Stefan, I'll deal with this later." she hung up and turned around. Damon was behind her, looking at her with a strange look.

"You okay?"

Caroline scoffed. "Don't pretend you care. I know you don't give two shits about me or your own brother."

Inside the bar, Bree turned on a blender, and picked her cell phone up, dialing a number. "Hey, it's Bree. You'll never guess who just walked into my bar with some girl who's as fiery as yours was."

In Mystic Falls, Bonnie woke up with a start just outside an old tomb. She stood up, rubbing her head anxiously.

"Ow." she grumbled to herself, and walked around. "Hello? Anybody...?"

The ground gave way to her feet, and she screamed, the earth swallowing her up.

Stefan's POV

I sighed, staring up at the older house. This was my best chance at finding Bonnie. I knew I had to do this.

I went onto the front porch and knocked on the door, waiting for the owner to answer.

Bonnie's Grams peered up at me, her eyes darting around.

"Hi." I greeted, trying not to come off as threatening.

She narrowed her eyes slightly. "Can I help you?"

"I'm Stefan." I extended my hand. She would know that I meant Bonnie and her absolutely no harm the moment she touched me. "I'm a friend of Bonnie's."

Her small hand slipped in mine and shook once, firmly.

"Her dad told me that she might be here."

"She was." her brown eyes studied me. "Not anymore."

"Do you know where she went?"

Grams shook her head. "No...but you do."

I did? What?

"I'm sorry?"

Grams raised a thin eyebrow. "I told her to face down her fear. And I'm sensing now that you know exactly why she was scared. You know what I am. And yet you offered me your hand, which means you wanted me to see that I can trust you."

I smiled. I had a feeling she would figure that out. "Can you?"

Her face was expressionless. "I trust you'll keep her safe. You'd better be on your way, then. I'm not going to invite you in. I'm sure you understand why.

I nodded once, thanking her before turning around and heading away.

Caroline's POV

A white later, Damon and I sat at the same place we were a few hours ago. I was annoyed at first, but then, much to my own discomfort, I began to enjoy Damon's company.

I popped a fry into my mouth, chewing thoughtfully. "Let's just say that I'm somehow one of Chandra's great-great-great-great-great grandchildren. Does that make me one billionth vampire or something?"

Damon smirked. "Vampires can't procreate, but...we love to try." his smirk widened at my eye-roll. "No, if you were related, it would mean that Chandra would have had to have a child before she was turned."

"So the same thing would have to happen with Katherine, since Elena looks just like her?"

Damon nodded, and I ate another fry. "Bingo, Blondie."

I ate in silence before a strange thought came to mind. "Are you and Stefan trying to use Elena and I as...replacements?"

Damon laughed and raised an eyebrow. "Kinda creepy if you ask me."

I pulled a stray onion and pickle off my burger.

Hm, must of missed them when I picked them off earlier.

"You don't like pickles? What's wrong with you?" Damon asked in mock disbelief. He snatched the pickle off my plate and popped it into his mouth. I made a face.

"How can you even eat if you're technically...dead?"

He gasped and mock-whispered. "Dead?" he shrugged. "It's not such a bad word, Blondie. As long as I keep a healthy diet of blood in my system, I function normally."

I nodded thoughtfully, not missing how...normal...he was acting. "This friendly thing you're doing...is any of it even real?"

Bree walked back over to us, and she handed Damon a beer. "Here you go."

He smiled. "Thank you."

Bree looked to me, to see if I needed anything.

What the heck, why not. I thought and a heart-beat later I heard myself say. "I'll have one too."

Damon turned and looked at me from the corner of his eye. "Hmm? Blondie, have a beer? Wow!"

I rolled my eyes. "Time out, remember? For 'five minutes'? Yeah, well, this five minutes is going to need a beer."

Or four...

Bree smiled at me, handing me a cold amber bottle. "There you go."

Bonnie's POV

I came to later, groaning as I sat up.

Did I fall through the ground?

I glanced around the old tomb and got up, thankful that I was unhurt.

I slipped my phone out of my pocket and held it up, desperately trying to get some service.

"Come on, phone!" I grumbled, and sighed when it continued to beep, not getting anything.

"Great." I sighed and looked around, noticing a huge stone door with a pentagram on it. A strange feeling washed over me, and I could have sworn I heard a strange guttural groan. Was this what Emily was keeping from Damon? A bunch of old...vampires?

Suddenly, I felt someone tap my shoulder and I screamed, whirling around, flailing. "Get away!"

"Bonnie!" I knew that voice! "It's me! It's Stefan!" he gently grabbed my wrists, which were punching and slapping the air, and I exhaled slightly.

"The ground gave way, and I fell..." I babbled and he nodded.

"It's ok. It's ok. Calm down."

I took another deep breath and nodded.

"Come on, let's get you out of here."

I furrowed my brows and peered in confusion at him. "How?"

I heard his soft reply. "Just close your eyes. Trust me." I did as he said, clenching my eyes shut. I felt his arms wrap around my waist, and a slight breeze brush my face.

I felt his arms leave, and his voice met my ears again. "You can open your eyes now."

I cautiously opened my eyes. I was back on the surface.

"Whoa." I mumbled and Stefan chuckled awkwardly.

"I didn't want to scare you."

"How did you know where I was?" I wondered aloud, looking up to the partially full moon, casting light down onto the forest.

"Well, your grandmother told me what you were doing. I guessed the where." he explained, and we slowly walked away from the hole.

"I heard them... down there... behind the door." I said quietly, the sound replaying in my mind. "Are they in pain?"

"In the beginning... yes. But not anymore. They've starved to the point of desiccation."

I glanced over to look at his expression. It was void of any emotion, and I could tell that he probably knew someone in there, like Damon and Klaus did.

"But if they have blood-" I said, instead of questioning him about whom he knew.

"That's not going to happen, Bonnie. They can't get out. Emily saw to that when she had you destroy the crystal. You're safe." He laid a hand on my shoulder, and we continued to walk back to our cars in silence.

Caroline's POV

It was just starting to get dark when Damon, Bree and I were on my third round of shots. Some creep from down the bar bought me just one, and Damon had been teasing me all night about how shocked he was that I'd had one beer, so who was I to turn down a free shot? This was ten minutes ago of course, and Damon and Bree wanted to join in on my 'fun'.

"That's 3!" I exclaimed, slamming down my glass quickly and smirking at Damon. I clapped my hands once and did a little dance in my seat.

Damon had some dribbling down his chin and I laughed. "Bree, I think he needs a bib."

She chuckled and went to assist someone else.

He rolled his eyes in response. "I'm sorry I can't unhinge my jaw like a snake, Blondie."

I laughed, feeling free as a bird. I could feel the alcohol coursing through my veins, making me feel a little tipsy, but I wasn't a lightweight. My drunken days of mother-mourning and partying gave me quite the tolerance. "Whatever. All right!" I turned to a few of the people who had joined us in shots. "Who's next? Another round, Bree?" I called, giggling and spinning back around on my bar stool to look past the counter.

I felt Damon's gaze on me, but ignored it. Let him stare!

"Honey, you should be on the floor!" a lady called, and I giggled.

"I'm not even drunk! My tolerance is wayyy up here!" I held my hand over my head and hopped up, feeling antsy.

"Here you go." she said, and poured another row of shots. I grinned and downed mine before going over to play pool. After a while, my phone rang. I groaned, seeing that it was Uncle Zach.

"Hello?" I asked, plugging one ear. The bar had gotten progressively louder as night arrived.

I heard him call my name and I said. "Zach! Hold on, it's loud in here."

I went outside, totally forgetting about my 'captor' slash 'drinking buddy' for the time being.

"Caroline. Where are you? Stefan says you're with Damon?"

"What?" I let the door swing shut and stepped farther into the alley-way. "I'm good. Everything's completely fine!"

I heard him reply, but the music still managed to seep through the door. "I can't hear you, hold on."

I walked towards the middle and pressed the phone tighter against my skull. I tripped over something, and dropped my phone with a clunk.

"Great." I sighed, bending down to pick it up.

"Hello? Still there?" I asked when I stood back up.

Suddenly, someone's hand was clamped around my mouth, and my phone clattered to the pavement.

Third Person POV

"Hey, where's your girl?" Bree asked Damon, who didn't correct her.

Caroline had made it clear that she was not anyone's girl, but Bree kept calling her his. Who would he be to correct her?

Damon glanced over his shoulder, peering at the pool table where he had heard and seen her a few minutes before.

"Hmmm." he furrowed his brows, his eyes scanning the crowd. "She was right there."

Damon glanced around the bar, and looked over to the side door. He got up and headed that way, pushing past the people in his way.

When he stepped outside, he glanced around, eyes and ears trained for anything out of the ordinary.

Was that her phone? He wondered, and bent down. He picked it up, and sure enough, it was.

The wind blew just then, and he narrowed his eyes, walking around the bar and towards the back.

Caroline's POV

When I came to, a vampire was hovering over me, his eyes dark.

"You'll stay here." he commanded. "I have no intention to hurt you, only your damn boy-toy."

The breath caught in my throat and I swallowed.

"Damon?"

The vampire's veins snaked dangerously and he nodded once. "Enough talk." he snapped. "Now hush." he picked me up and set me next to a tank of something. "Stay here, girl."

My heart thudded in my chest and I sat there, waiting.

A few minutes later, Damon's familiar head of dark hair came around the corner.

"DAMON, NO!" I exclaimed, eyes wide.

Damon rushed towards me, but he was stopped halfway by the same man. He attacked him with a wooden plank, viciously beating him until he was laying on the ground.

I couldn't just stand here! I jumped down from the tank's small platform and ran towards the men.

"What the hell?" Damon groaned as he rolled over on the ground.

"NO!" I yelled.

The vampire whirled around, glaring at me pointedly before suddenly having a can of gasoline in his hand. He started to pour it on Damon, and I gasped, hands flying up to my mouth.

"Please stop this!" I cried out.

"Who are you?" Damon grunted, and I saw in the dim streetlight his bloodied face and shirt. A fragment of wood stuck out of his side, and the man laughed dryly.

"That's perfect! You have absolutely no idea."

"What are you talking about?" I stepped forward and gently touched the man's back, despite my better judgment. "What did he do?"

He quickly turned to face me, eyes pained. I drew my hand back. "He killed my girlfriend. What did she do to you, huh? What did she do to you?!"

"Nothing." Damon spat blood onto the pavement and he tried to get up.

"I don't understand, why would Damon know your girlfriend?" I asked, and he turned to me again, this time with tears in his eyes.

"My girlfriend went to visit Stefan, and Damon killed her. Got it?"

My hands flew to my mouth as he hit Damon with a bat. The pieces were clicking together in my mind.

"Lexi was your girlfriend?" the brief pause in his swing told me I was right. I desperately thought to the few conversations she and I had had. "She told me about you. She said that you were human." I blurted out, and he looked at me.

"I was." the tears that were once pooled in his eyes were now dripping down his cheeks, and I finally remembered his name. Lee.

"Lexi turned you?" I asked.

"If you want to be with someone forever, you have to live forever." Lee said forlornly, glaring down at Damon. He kicked him once in the ribs, almost halfheartedly, and I continued.

"She loved you." I blurted out. "She said that, 'When it's real, you can't walk away.'"

"Well, that's a choice you're not going to have to make." he rifled through his pockets for something, and pulled out a small container.

Matches.

"Don't. Don't, please, don't hurt him—" I pleaded, stepping closer.

I heard this hiss of the match, and my heart thundered in my chest, the thought of loosing Damon strangely making my whole being ache.

"I'm doing you a favor." he spat and I closed my eyes, running my fingers through my hair.

"Lexi loved you! And she was good! And that means you're good too. Be better than him. Don't do this. I'm begging you! Please."

Lee stared at me for a long time, his shoulders heaving up and down as he panted. Suddenly, the little speck of fire disappeared and he threw Damon hard against the building, causing a few bricks to crack.

He turned towards me, his eyes now dry.

"Thank you." I said, meaning every syllable.

"It wasn't for you." he spat in reply and then left.

I ran over to Damon, shoving my blonde hair over to one side so I could get a good look at him.

"Damon." I said quietly, kneeling at his side.

He groaned at sat up.

"Guess I had this coming sooner or later, huh?" he winced and grabbed my arm, pulling his body into a sitting position against the wall.

I chuckled and sat next to him, the smell of gasoline filling my lungs.

"I'm surprised it doesn't happen more often."

He coughed up blood, grimacing. "Yeah, me too."

We sat in a semi-awkward silence for a few moments. "Thanks, by the way." he said, and I turned to look at him.

Damon Salvatore using his manners? Wow.

I grinned widely. "I saved your life, mister!" I nudged him with my shoulder. "And don't you forget it, either."

He chuckled. "I won't."

We both got up and he wiped his hands off on his gasoline-soaked jeans.

"I'm going to go get-" he said, and I held up a hand.

"I don't want to know what you're going to do." I said, knowing he was probably go eat some random stranger and kill Bree or something. "I'll be in the car." I started to walk towards the alley. "I'm a bit drunk – and tired." I turned back, but he was already out of sight.

Third Person POV

Stefan walked away from Bonnie's Grams' house, deep in thought. She sounded like she wanted to help protect the town from Klaus and Damon, but her main priority was Bonnie first, which was understandable. He hoped he wouldn't have to push her morals too much. She was such a kind lady.

Very early the next morning, after Caroline had slept in the backseat of Damon's car for a few hours, he woke her up and they set back off to Mystic Falls.

"Why did you bring me with you anyways, Damon?" she asked, turning her gaze from the window to look at Damon.

He pondered his words for a brief millisecond before speaking. "Well, you aren't the worst company in the world, Blondie." he smirked. "You should give yourself more credit. You aren't as sulky as the others say."

She groaned, not wanting to be reminded of the slight hang-over she had. She hadn't drunk too much, but it was enough to leave her feeling blah.

"Seriously?" Caroline raised her eyebrow, and stared at Damon. "I know you well enough Damon, there was another reason."

"You barely know me, Blondie." he replied with a smirk. He paused for a beat before continuing. "You were there in the road, all damsel-in-distress-like. And, I knew it would piss you and Stefan off. And, like I said, you aren't the worst company in the world."

Caroline's POV

I smiled slightly. "I used to be more fun."

He laughed and glanced at me, still smirking. "You did fine, Blondie."

"I did more then fine." I mumbled, mostly to myself. "I saved your life!"

He rolled his eyes halfheartedly. "I know."

I grinned again. "And don't you forget it, mister."

He chuckled. "Wouldn't dream of it."

The rest of the drive was normal, the occasional banter between the two of us, with a few long silences. When we arrived home, Stefan and Elena were in the parlor, talking.

"Caroline!" They exclaimed, and Elena ran to me, giving me a hug. When she got closer, I realized she was crying.

"Elena?" I pulled away and looked at her, confused. "What's wrong?"

She led me into the hall. "I'm adopted."

My face fell, and I hugged her. "I'm so sorry, how did you find that out?"

She sniffled and told me how she had suspected it for a while, and went to her father's old work to find out more. "Stefan told me more about it." she swallowed.

I nodded, absorbing the story. Wow. I couldn't even imagine how it would feel to learn that I was adopted.

"Caroline?" Stefan stepped into the hall. "Can I talk to you?"