Should I give up?

Or should I just keep chasing pavements

Even if it leads nowhere?

Or would it be a waste

Even if I knew my place?

Should I leave it there?

Adele, "Chasing Pavements"

28. DID YOU EVER... YOU KNOW?

She doesn't think about it before running to hug him. "Thank god you're okay!"

He appears to be fine, no major injuries and no ripper look in his eyes. Good.

"While you were away locked up with your ex-girlfriend and the crazy witch that is obsessed with your face, let me tell you, I spent the whole day playing good and bad cop with Katherine. The worst part is, I think I don't really dislike her that much anymore. What does that make of me?"

He laughs.

"It makes you you, I guess."

She looks back at her phone. Jesse is still not picking up her calls. What's wrong with him?

"Hey, Jesse. You missed our study session again and I haven't heard from you in a while. Are you okay?"

"Caroline, I just came to ask you something."

She takes her eyes off the screen and glances at Stefan, only to find the Tuesday look she hasn't seen in a while. "Uh?"

"What you wanted from Silas, about your dreams, did you get it?"

She blinks, confused about this question before catching what's wrong with it.

"You recovered your memory!"

He nods.

"Qetziyah thought it'd be a punishment. Long story. So did you? Get what you needed?"

"I'm so sorry Stefan."

He sighs. "There's no need to apologize. I just want to know."

"It wasn't of much help. I saw glimpses, like in my dreams. Mostly Silas just got what he needed before losing his psychic powers."

"He used you. I just wanted to confirm it with you before."

"Before what?"

"I'm going to kill him."

'Look out for the gypsies. Consider this a thank you note. S.'

She finds the note inside her journal. So that devil went through her things, too. When did he even have the chance to do that?

She does feel cheated by Silas, but she also knew that she was taking a big risk and went for it anyway. Now she's just grateful he's dead.

And Bonnie is back. She's the anchor now.

Caroline can't believe it's true, just like in her dreams… the images Silas let her see, Bonnie is alive again.

"Do you want me to order some take-out? What about going to a restaurant to celebrate? I'm sorry, I just… this is incredible. I'm so happy to have you back."

"Care, we have so much we should talk about" Bonnie pats the spot next to her on the couch. "I never imagined… you and Stefan."

She feels her body turn rigid, and she avoids looking at her friend.

"Don't say it. There's nothing going on."

"We both know that's not true."

She remembers that once upon a time, when she was young and human, innocent and naive, back then she set her eyes on Stefan and it hurt when he chose Elena. Bonnie told her it wasn't a competition, but to her it was, and she declared it so.

But things were different then.

Caroline's eyes turn into steel. "I know he's Elena's soulmate. If it wasn't very clear, this whole ordeal with Silas and his eternal love helped to set things straight. I will not… I never tried to take anything from her."

"I know." Bonnie says "I don't like Damon either, but Elena made her choice. And from what I've seen, Stefan cares about you."

"Let's not talk about this, please."

She's been holding everything in for so long that she cannot allow herself to hope for more now. It would destroy her. It would destroy everything they have.

"Okay. Let's just order take out then" Bonnie smiles "And later I can see the dorm, not that I haven't seen it yet, but I can actually touch things this time."

"You're not staying with Jeremy?"

"Please. I've been sticking to him for months now. He is probably glad to have a break from me."

Ok, she cannot miss this chance to tease her.

"It didn't look like that when you were kissing earlier."

As always, there's a short moment when things look like they are finally going well before they go to hell. Yes, Stefan left the campus because it's not as fun anymore, and he was just coming because he had nothing better to do without his memories anyway, but there's Bonnie and Elena and another party coming soon.

Then Jesse comes back from the dead, quite literally. It turns out he was kidnapped right after the graveyard incident, when he had her blood in his system. It was Dr. Maxfield's doing. Now he's a vampire.

She and Elena teach him the basics of vampirism, and she tries to call Stefan a few times. He's not been answering since the day before, which is worrisome.

Actually, when Caroline thinks about it, he's been acting weird since killing Silas. Could it be that after the deed was done, he started to blame her for handing herself to his twisted original and the memory loss?

There's no other plausible explanation, not that she can think of. He doesn't even come to Bonnie's welcome party.

"I sent Damon to question Wes," Elena tells her.

"You realize that Damon is going to kill Wes, right?"

"I know you're not crazy about Damon and I being together…"

"No, it's fine. I'm fine with you two being together, as long as you acknowledge the kind of person you are with."

As an outsider, Caroline can see how Elena accepts in Damon things that she would have never accepted in Stefan. Yes, every relationship is different. But with time you start picking up traits from the person you love, isn't that what they say? She hopes Elena doesn't pick the worst from the older Salvatore.

And yes, she's biased because she likes Stefan better, so what?

"Stefan, are you ignoring my calls on purpose? Because I could really use your help now. Elena is sending your brother to interrogate our psychotic bio professor."

She sighs.

"Someone as pretty as you should be having fun," Jesse says, offering his hand. "Do you want to dance?"

"Sure," she smiles and allows herself to have a good time with a good-looking guy.

He kisses her again.

And then he leaves.

Caroline had a soft spot for him, and the sight of him dead (killed by her friend, who was supposed to help him as well) pains her.

Why was she expecting a different outcome?

"Caroline"

She looks up to see Stefan standing in front of her building.

"What are you doing here?"

"We need to talk."

She breathes in deeply, a useless attempt to keep her emotions under check.

"Yes, yes we do. I've been trying to contact you all day! Scratch that. You've been ignoring me since yesterday, and had me wondering what I did wrong for you to be acting like that."

"I'm sorry. I needed to make sure before telling you." There's that look in his eyes, the one he has when he feels sorry for someone.

In spite of herself, her anger is replaced by concern. "What happened?"

"Tom is missing"

Tom. She hasn't heard from him in a week. But that's normal. Sometimes he's busy.

"No"

"I compelled some people in his hospital and his building to check on him. No one has seen him in four days."

It's happening.

"We have to go. I know where to find him."

"We're bringing someone else with us" he tells her in a cautious tone that tells her she might not like this.

"Who?"

Katherine has that hateful smirk on her face when she hops out of his car. Have they been together this whole time?

"You can't be serious. You told him about Tom?"

"I don't think keeping him away from our business is an option anymore. Some group of witches is trying to kill Katherine, and I don't think it's a coincidence Tom has disappeared right around the same time."

"This has to do with the Travelers, there's no doubt about that." Katherine says, "so why don't you pack your things and we can go to meet this other doppelgänger. I'm very interested in getting to know him. Who knows, he might be the one I'm actually destined with."

Caroline glares at Stefan.

"She tried to kill herself today." He says under his breath "I think she needs a purpose in life."

"Tonight a cute guy kissed me and ran away only to be killed by my friend, now I find out my best friend was ignoring me to hang out with his manipulative and backstabbing ex, and my other friend has been kidnapped by witches, so forgive me if I'm in a mood."

He frowns.

"Wait. Who was killed?"

"Nevermind. Just give me a minute, I'll pick something from my bedroom and I'll be back."

When she finishes recounting today's events, they are nearly reaching the airport.

"You know that Elena did what she had to do to save Damon. And for all we know that guy could have tried to hurt you too."

"No, she did what she thought was right. Just as she thought that Damon was good boyfriend material."

Katherine clears her throat, cutting into their conversation and claiming attention.

"Caroline, I did not know you had it in you. A doppelgänger hidden under wraps for years. Did you two ever... uh hum… you know?" She raises her eyebrows suggestively.

Caroline turns her head to the back seat. "No!"

Did she say she no longer hated Katherine? Well, it's obvious she was wrong.

"Ah, then is our Stefan still the first choice?"

"Shut up!" She and Stefan say in unison.