Here it is, another chapter. I promise things will start to evolve starting from the next one.

Leave reviews! Would you like to have Stefan's P.O.V. too? Maybe every fifth chapter or so?

If the elephants have past lives,
Yet are destined to always remember,
It's no wonder how they scream,
Like you and I, they must have some temper.

Rachael Yamagata, "Elephants"

THREE. JUST DREAMS.

Caroline swallows the bitterness and it settles in her stomach, twisting her insides and turning into a craving for blood that is hard to suppress. Stefan would probably have good advice to fight this sudden urge, the problem is that he is also the reason she feels like this now.

That disappointment she saw in her dreams, she certainly did not expect to see for real so soon.

She deserves it, though.

Elena hasn't said anything yet, but it's obvious that they both know that she's been helping Katherine all day.

What else could she do? The bitch is threatening Matt, and it does not matter that they are not together-together at the moment, Caroline still cares about him.

Doesn't she?

Is that the real reason she acted like a hateful, backstabbing bitch to the only two friends she has at the moment? (If Stefan can even be counted as one, that is)

Caroline shakes off those doubts quickly. The dreams are playing with her mind and with her heart, but they don't actually mean a thing. They are just dreams. She's been over her crush for Stefan for a long time now, and she is one hundred percent convinced that he and Elena make a great couple. It's that kind of epic love, after all.

"What's the rush? Why are you hurrying to a relationship that will never work?"

She can't believe she's said those words. Maybe she was indeed projecting her failed relationship with Matt on them.

Now she can hear them arguing and can't help but feel the guilt burning her inside.

It's always like this. Things get ruined even before she has the chance to make them right. Caroline wants to cry, but instead she keeps the smile plastered on her face after hearing her mother say she doesn't want to see her.

Sheriff Forbes doesn't need or want a vampire daughter.

Of course, it would be that way. For years, she'd done her very best so things were perfect at home (as perfect as they could be when your father, the only person who understood you and liked you, just packed his things and left out of the blue, new boyfriend already waiting outside), but since when did her mom cooperate?

Her mom wasn't even around to notice when she transitioned (and she would have guessed, back then, because she already knew about vampires while Caroline was ignorant about everything). If she did not like her when she was still human, why would she like her now?

Trying to distract herself from this depressing line of thought that won't help at all, she starts to pay attention to Stefan and Elena's arguing in the other room.

He's right, though. He should be drinking at least a bit of blood, or he's putting his life in danger with so many enemies around them.

Well, there's nothing she can do about her mom hating her, or Bonnie hating her, but at least she can make things right with Elena (who's been more of a real friend recently than in all of their early teen days combined).

So Caroline tells her about Katherine, and confirms that they already knew that part.

"You know, even if you are scared that Stefan won't be able to be the person you know once he drinks human blood, I think it's something he really needs to do." She speaks her mind, breaking their embrace after a good minute or so.

"Caroline, you don't know… you haven't seen him."

"I might not know what he is like, besides the fact that he goes insane, or so he says. But it's because it is so difficult to control that he needs your help. Stefan loves you, Elena. He's managed to control his bloodlust around you so far because you are important to him, so if someone can help him to handle human blood now, it's you."

Elena doesn't say another word, but Caroline feels a bit lighter after saying what needed to be said.

Then she falls asleep.

"You're my friend. I need you to just give it to me straight. Am I a horrible person?"

He pulls a chair and sits across from her, near the fireplace.

"Ahh. Somebody has to say it. So here goes... Are you ready?" He says, attempting to keep a serious face. But she knows all of his brooding and reproving looks, and this is far from any of those. "Caroline, you are a horrible person. You are thoughtless. You are shameless. You are shallow and completely undependable."

He breaks a smile, and she can't help but laugh.

"Hey! I am vulnerable. Don't be mean!"

Stefan isn't done teasing her. "You know what? Now that I think of it... I have no idea what Klaus saw in you. What was he thinking?"

"Shut up."

She will still feel guilty towards Tyler, because she knows that what she did is wrong. However, the relief that comes with Stefan's kindness reassures her that she is not that horrible, not if she has a friend like him.

Curiously, when Caroline wakes up she is in the same room as in her dreams, but there's no fire and there's no-

Oh, Stefan is there. He's sitting in the exact same spot she was occupying in her dream.

She frowns as she sits on the couch. It isn't even morning yet.

"Can't sleep, uh?" She asks.

When he turns his head, she can briefly see the ghost of his blood-thirsty eyes. He's struggling.

"Did you-" She wants to ask if he drank human blood, but stops herself. That's probably Elena's job, not hers.

His eyes go back to normal, and his expression softens as he puts his focus on her.

"Hey, are you feeling better?" After everything that happened during the past twenty-four hours...

She sighs.

"Of course. My mom hates me and considers me dead, but we all knew it would happen if she ever found out, right?" She shrugs. "Considering her whole crusade against vampires, I had to be prepared."

It would have been nice to have more time without knowing what her mother felt about her new condition.

"She is going to forget it, Caroline." That concerned frown is back on his face. "And she will still be your mom."

"I know. But I will remember it."

Just like in the dream, he moves from the armchair to another spot closer to her, and Caroline sees the same caring eyes that have the power to soothe her just a little bit.

"Thank you. For choosing to save us today."

He probably won't appreciate it if she tells him she was only saving him. If it were only Damon the one about to die, then the bastard could go to hell.

She smiles. "What else was I going to do? You are my very own vampire coach now. How could I let you die?"

Besides, she wants to be a better friend to him and Elena now, who else does she have by her side?

It's not because she has any other feelings, not at all.

Dreams are just dreams.

She pushes the fact that Tyler Lockwood's uncle is a werewolf at the back of her mind. It means Tyler could become one in the future. Which means that, maybe, her dream from last time isn't as impossible as she first thought.