Hello there!

Don't let me go

Hold me in your beating heart

I won't let go

Forever is not enough

Let me lay my head down on the shadow by your side

Don't let me go

Hold me in your beating heart

RAIGN, "Don't let me go"

35. BEATING HEART

Caroline is losing count of how many times it's been happening by now.

"Why does he always get kidnapped?"

"Maybe he enjoys playing the damsel in distress."

Damon isn't even looking at her, trying to get to Jeremy instead. "Can you be a bit more serious about this whole thing? The travelers have Elena too."

And yet they're driving back to Mystic Falls.

"Use your brain, Barbie. They need them alive to use their blood, which gives us a bit of time to find them. And we don't know where they have them, but we know that there are passengers in town who can provide the information, so that's our best shot."

She bites her lips. Of course, what he says it's true, but she can't help feeling anxious. How can she forget the way they tortured him last time? Every minute Markos' people have Stefan, he is in pain.

The problem is, travelers using other people's bodies have no problem whatsoever in dying. The next four days are the longest in her life, having no leads about Stefan and Elena's whereabouts.

Besides, her desire to stake Damon is growing stronger by the hour. Yes, he's the only ally she actually trusts to find Stefan, but spending time with him reminds her why she dislikes him so much. Now he's adamant that Bonnie brings Enzo back to life before the Other Side disappears (her friend has been lying about some spell that can do just that) but Caroline knows it's not just possible and this is only making Bonnie miserable for what are probably her last weeks… how long does she even have?

"Stefan called me. He and Elena escaped and are trying to find a way to come back, but they don't even know where they are so… it might take a while."

"So we just let them on their own?"

Damon shrugs it off. "We have more pressing matters. Like finding out what is Markos planning to do with our home."

On the other hand, he's really taken this 'hero' mode, so she cannot be that angry at him, because everything he is doing is to save their town.

She tries to do her part getting playing the 'nice cop' to get information from their most important prisoner: Julian, the traveler that has taken Tyler's body. The man is not collaborating at all, but she manages to get some information from him. Markos wants to erase all witch magic from existence, which includes vampires… That's not good at all.

Damon's great plan? Taking more hostages.

"What are you planning on doing with all of them?" She asks Damon, looking at the piles of travelers' bodies in disarray across the house.

"Well, Markos put them in a cave. I'm hoping he wants them back."

"So you think drawing Markos to your house is the best idea?

"It's the only idea! The useless hybrid in the basement is not helping at all."

"Julian is not Tyler. He has no reason to help us. So until I figure out a way to get Tyler back, he's just extra baggage."

"There's no shame in giving up. I mean, aren't we all a little sick of Tyler?"

She pursues her lips. Secretly, part of her agrees. Maybe bringing back Tyler isn't possible and every minute he spends alive is a minute he may escape and add to their troubles. And is she really that fond of Tyler?

They have not been friends in years, because of the whole hybrid-fiasco thing, courtesy of Klaus. But she's tried so hard to be good, and that includes not giving up on people just because it's the easiest way to go. Elena tried to kill her too (and hurt her mom) and yet Caroline still tried to help her get her humanity back. Tyler deserves the same treatment.

Later, she'll regret not killing him when she had the chance.

It seems like there's no other option but to run away. Or, as Damon calls it, reallocate in order to plan the counter-attack.

"I cannot believe I'm the one saying this, but you don't need to take that much with you. We're running out of time, so the essentials, Bonnie."

"Well my time to clear out this space was suddenly cut short due to the possible extinction of magic, and we both know I won't be coming back here next term."

Caroline closes her suitcase.

"It's not… maybe we still have time, Bonnie."

Her friend shakes her head.

"It's going to be over soon. I know it."

"Then I will say this again: Jeremy, and the rest of our friends, they deserve to know that there is not coming back from this, that the Other Side cannot be saved."

Bonnie cannot be saved, not this time. Caroline needs to say it, because Bonnie won't, but deep inside she also refuses to accept this.

"Or maybe this is the moment where we have to part and save everyone else from learning the truth."

"Just… I need a moment, Caroline." And she's gone.

How is she supposed to say goodbye to Bonnie for a second time?

That's when her phone rings, and she answers without paying attention to the name flashing on her screen.

"Where are you?" He asks in a pressing tone, but she cares little about this.

"Stefan… you're okay."

It's him. All she can do is be grateful that he's safe enough to call her. It's all she cares about.

Caroline sees it as a sign that they can't lose hope yet, and sets out to find Bonnie, who's actually running through the corridor in her direction.

"We have to go, right now. The spell is spreading, and Stefan is waiting for us."

"I think there's a way to bring us all back."

There is it, the little bit of light in the darkness, a bit of hope that they can turn things around the way they always do.

The same light she sees when her eyes set on Stefan's figure, his eyes mirroring her relief when she runs towards him.

Caroline is way past the point of pretending she cares only in a friend-like manner. The last time they saw each other, she could barely hold back her need from being closer, and after she found out he was gone, she wished she would have told him more. Because in their lives, the present moment could always be the last time.

So what if he doesn't love her the same way?

At the very least, he should know that's what she feels.

"Don't do that to me ever again, please." It's not her intention to cry, but her tears betray her. "Don't disappear like that."

"Okay." The softness in his voice is enough to soothe her worries.

His thumb caresses her cheeks, a very gentle touch that stops right at the corner of her mouth. Caroline only registers the intent in his eyes when he's already leaning towards her. Like a magnet, she's drawn to him and meets him halfway.

Stefan kisses her, and it's not a dream. As hard as it is to tell the difference between reality and dreams most of the time, this is not one of them. It's hesitant and shy at first, pure softness and tenderness in the way his lips move against hers. It's such a light touch and yet it's overwhelming. She tightens her grip around him, and parts her lips. When he deepens the kiss, it burns.

There's still no sign of Bonnie when they finally part.

"One of us should probably say something."

She can't help but smile, and he's smiling too, and all she can think about is how he is the most handsome man she knows.

"I think we should do that more often."

The world would be perfect if they could just continue with this forever, but alas, the world is ending, and she eventually remembers this the moment Tyler, no, the passenger in Tyler's body appears in front of them.

"I'm looking for Maria. I heard she brought you back to Mystic Falls."

"She's dead, I'm sorry."

"It wasn't Stefan's fault."

Caroline gets an eerie feeling, and as Julian gets angry, everything that is playing out in front of her overlaps with the nightmares she's had for years now.

Unlike the dream, she doesn't try to attack the traveler at first, letting Stefan try to reason with him. But she sees it's not working, and he's walking towards them. It won't do.

He'll try to kill Stefan because of the spell anyway.

She has lived it too many times to count, she can't see it happen again.

There's just a small window, a fraction of a second, if she had hesitated, then Tyler's hand would have thrust right into Stefan's chest. Caroline doesn't hesitate. She breaks his neck, but not before he manages to rip her heart out of her.

It's such a relief.

Isn't it?

It's not as if she wants to die, but…

"NO!"

Three seconds it's what it takes.

The first one, for her to fall on her keens.

The second, for her to feel that familiar pain that comes with flashes of memories that belong to another Caroline, one that won't need to go through the same.

"You're human now. Do you know what that means?"

"It means I get to grow old with my best friend."

"We're family now. Just please, please don't make me leave you, please."

"Caroline!"

The third, she closes her eyes.

Maybe she can find peace this time around.