There are definitely lots of things that need fixing with Stefan and Caroline, but this fic keeps getting longer and longer as I try to lead it to the place it should be. I never thought I would need more than 50 chapters for that.

Is Silas evil? Is he sincere? Can Stefan learn and stop being a self-sacrificing hero? When am I going to let Caroline have a break? All questions that will be answered soon (maybe, I hope so).

For the moment, enjoy it and thank you for reading.

50. BIRTHDAY PRESENT

After the incident with the Parker twins, and Jo still suspecting that they have the ascendant, but with no actual proof that's the case, there are no more attacks against her (Alaric doesn't know the truth either, and Damon is smart enough to hide it from him).

But Caroline has dropped out of some classes, and even the broadcasting club (and only really cares about her singing lessons and the drama classes), so she spends less and less time around the campus, and there's no need to run into either of the weird witches.

On Sunday afternoon her mom stays at home with her and they marathon a whole season of Grey's Anatomy, but the next day she is going to Mystic Falls to visit some of her old colleagues there.

On Monday, she drives to Whitmore and meets Elena for lunch after class. They have decided to start anew and leave behind all the good and bad from their relationship up until now, but it's strange to start anew. Caroline has this feeling that they are tiptoeing around each other.

More like everyone is tiptoeing around her.

During the last week, Damon has also taken the habit of visiting early in the morning with coffee. He took the news of her mother's illness quite hard, it actually surprised Caroline. But he stops by on Tuesday even though her mom isn't back yet, bringing the wrong order as usual (she rejected it the first day, but she's taken it every time afterwards).

"I told you, I don't like sugar in my coffee."

Of course, he does it on purpose.

"Elena told me you're not planning a birthday party this year?"

"I don't feel much like celebrating."

"Cheer up, Carebear. We finally got the Parker siblings off our back, and tomorrow is the day I'm bringing back Bon-Bon and my brother."

"Why not today, then?"

"The evil witch decided to disappear on me, but Enzo and I have it covered. I'm going to drag him out to cast the spell if that's what it takes."

Silas, refusing to cooperate just because he's not in the mood. Caroline would drag him out herself, but she's avoiding him too after their last encounter. She doesn't like how he gets under her skin.

The Caroline Forbes everyone knows wouldn't care less about this, and she would do everything she could if she knew that it could bring back Stefan and Bonnie.

However, she doesn't feel much like herself these days. For example, she can't really put into words the loneliness she feels when she's left on her own, like it's happening now that both her mom and Tom are in Mystic Falls. The house feels huge and empty, and she's like a ghost that only temporarily becomes flesh and blood when others approach her, doing right Damon is doing right now.

It reminds her of those days she wandered inside the Boarding House before Ric came to start working on making that place an actual school.

"Hey, blondie?"

She blinks and realizes she's been staring blankly at her coffee for too long.

"Just let me know when and where, and I'll be there to help and keep an eye on Silas while you're looking for them. We don't want him to try anything funny and leave you on the prison world again. Then Elena would really lose it."

"She's going to be there, too."

"Even so."

"And the party?"

Caroline shakes her head as they walk towards the door.

"Things never turn out well when we throw a party."

It's well past midnight when she hears the door opening, and Caroline is vamps downstairs instantly, expecting an intruder (or just Silas, who has this annoying habit but never breaks into her house at these hours).

Maybe she's still dreaming, because what she sees instead is Stefan.

It takes her a couple of seconds to put herself together.

"Stefan?"

He smiles and walks towards her, and then she's already wrapping her arms around him. He also sighs as he kisses her, a shared relief of being home again.

"How?" She manages to ask.

"Bonnie brought us back."

"Oh my god. Bonnie. Where is she? How is she?"

"Hi, Care."

Caroline's eyes are wide when she hears her friend's voice as Bonnie walks into the living room.

It's the first time in weeks she actually laughs.

"I can't believe it." She says, hugging her tightly. "Do you know how much I missed you?"

"I heard you were always optimistic that you'd find us. Thank you, Care."

Both Bonnie and Stefan look a bit disheveled and like they haven't slept well for days. She frowns as she sees blood stains in Bonnie's shirt.

"How did you escape?" Caroline asks Stefan again. "What about Malachai Parker?"

Bonnie tenses at the mention of the name, and Stefan shrinks, it takes a while for his eyes to meet her.

"We had to make a deal. It was the only way."

Caroline doesn't like what she hears, and she can see that Bonnie isn't happy either.

"You got him out with you? He wants to kill his family, Stefan."

"I know he's dangerous. But we'll stop him before he can hurt anyone here."

Breathing becomes difficult. This is what they always do, making deals with evil people that need to be broken later on. It never ends well.

"I didn't want to free him, Caroline, believe me." Bonnie says, putting a hand on her shoulder. "But this was the only way. It's not like we can trust Silas either."

Okay. They can work with this, that's true. They've faced originals and travelers and doppelgängers. Sure this man can suck magic out of others, but he's not unkillable. They can stop him and fix it before the Parker twins have real reasons to hate all of them.

"Well, I'm off to see another person that needs to know we're alright." Bonnie probably means Elena, and is it childish that Caroline feels happy she came to see her first?

Or maybe she wants to see Jeremy first, it makes sense since she has no idea how bad the boy had taken her absence.

"If you need somewhere to stay, you can come back here, Bon."

There's still so much they need to talk and tell each other, but it can probably wait. After being trapped in another dimension for months, Bonnie probably has a lot in her head right now.

"Thank you. I'll keep it in mind."

Caroline is smiling again when the door closes with a thud.

"That's right. Whatever that new psycho is about, we can stop him, the important thing is that you are here right now." Her hands grab the sleeves of his jacket. "Should we call your brother and Alaric too? I'm sure they want to go witch-hunting in this particular case."

Stefan cups her face. "We'll do that, but before-"

"Of course, you should sleep. You look terrible, no offense."

He chuckles. "Happy birthday, Care."

Her face brightens.

It turns out this year's birthday might not be completely awful after all.

She leans for another kiss.

No, not awful at all.

"I told you not to do that again, remember? Don't disappear like that."

He tightens his hold on her. "I'm sorry for making you worry. I knew I would come back to you, or you would find a way to make us come back."

Yes, she knew that, as long as he was alive, there was hope. Caroline used to think she could give people lessons on holding onto hope. But this time, for some reason… why?

"But it felt as if you wouldn't. So don't. Don't put yourself at risk, how many times have you told me this? Follow your own advice."

Because he's a lost cause, Stefan doesn't answer and just kisses her forehead. "I love you."

She knows. The problem with him is that he doesn't love himself enough. It's either his brother first, or anyone else, but why does the option of sacrificing his own life always come almost as an instinct to him?

"I love you too."

They sleep well into the morning (she gives herself the day off) and only gets out of bed when she smells new-made coffee.

"Is this for me?" She smiles and grabs her mug. "You know, Damon has been weirdly nice these days and brought coffee in the mornings. Did something happen to him in that prison world? Brainwashing maybe?"

"My guess is that Bonnie has been a good influence on him. They did spend a lot of time together there, and we would not come without her when Kai took her, even if I told him I would fix that."

"That's why you broke his neck."

Now that they are all alive and momentarily safe, they are allowed to go back to being petty.

He nods and tilts his head. "Maybe it was also payback for the last time he conspired with Silas and broke mine. Repeatedly."

Later Stefan cooks for them, and if the problem of the psycho witches looms on the horizon, Caroline pretends it's not there. This is her birthday present, living one normal day before being thrown into the madness again. It's easy because, although her friends text her and call her to wish her a happy birthday, no one calls at their door to interrupt them.

"Should we pack this food and have a picnic outside?" He asks her.

Caroline raises an eyebrow.

That's definitely something he wouldn't suggest any other day, but it seems he's really trying to make it up to her for the many sleepless nights she's had because of him. Good. Her lips curl up in a smile.

"We should go to the park. I'll be ready in a sec!"

But really, she should have known it's all part of a bigger conspiracy.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"

Their living room is crowded when they come back in the evening. Apparently, Elena and Bonnie have planned the whole thing in a single day.

"Oh my god, thank you so much guys!" She turns to Stefan, "Did you learn to lie better, or I'm just losing my touch?"

He wraps his arms around her waist from behind, leaning on her to rest his chin on her shoulder. "You're definitely losing your touch."

Compared to the parties they used to throw in town, this is a very small gathering, made mostly of supernatural beings plus Matt and her mom. But they are no longer in Mystic Falls and this feels just right.

The cake is the best she's ever tried, too. She makes a point to ask Elena where they got it.

"Okay, so I didn't get to congratulate you in person when you turned 18, but here we are at your birthday number 20, which is even better. Or is it birthday number 3?" Tom asks her, reminiscing of a depressing text message she sent him once.

"Wait, was that when we held the funeral? Matt asked.

"What?" Stefan asks, confused.

"It was Elena's idea." Bonnie says. "Because Caroline didn't want a birthday party either."

"Wicked" Enzo comments, giving a nod of approval.

To her chagrin, they carry on telling stories of the most embarrassing details of Caroline's earlier (human) birthdays, all with her mom's help.

It's heartwarming. And by the end of the night, she's happy.

"I have a present for you," Stefan says, grabbing her hand and leading her back to their bedroom.

She's curious. What kind of present could he get from her when they have spent all day together since he came back?

It's a small vial that he places in her hands.

Caroline frowns.

"What… exactly is this?"

He's staring at her with those earnest eyes, and she knows it before he says it aloud. But why?

Why is he giving this to her?