Man, I feel like I'm on a roll! Not gonna lie, totally have Stan open beside me now. Ugh, I tried but I could not remember things and I got sick of trying to remember from the Wikipedia list of episodes ahaha! Anyway, that's to the hundreds of people that have given this a chance! I know only a couple of you in comparison have any kind of fave or alert on it, but still, I'm writing this for fun and if you guys have fun, too, all the better! On with the show!

Chapter 7

"Animal attacks have been rather brutal and frequent, lately," Lia hummed thoughtfully, taking another bite of her waffles. Her, Slater and Enzo had been busy furnishing their new home, Lia losing her mind when Enzo told her that he had already paid for an inground pool that was to be indoor once everything was built, meaning no peeping neighbours! School commenced tomorrow, news stories were constantly reporting the same thing and the Mystic Falls Supernatural Council, along with their newest sworn-in member Mr Lorenzo St. John, were in the middle of taking a breather from the debate that had lasted 3 meetings now; to curfew or not to curfew.

"I think we all know who the town squire is ringing the bell about," Enzo raised an unimpressed eyebrow at the news reporter; Logan Fell. "He's getting sloppy in his old age."

"Guess who's back, back again," Lia hopped off the lounge and danced around the room, still humming the Eminem song as she slipped her shoes on and collected her phone and wallet.

Slater rolled his eyes as he headed straight for coffee. "Are you ready for your test?"

"Of course," Lia almost sounded offended. "I don't see how driving a car could be difficult. Pedal one fast, pedal two slow, P for park, R for reverse, D for drive. Easy!"

*TVDM*

"Miss, watch out for the-!"

"What the fuck?! Who threw that at me?! Was that a letterbox?"

"Turn the wheel!"

"But I want to go straight! Why aren't we going straight?! Why aren't you helping?!"

"Pull over!"

"You try pulling over!"

"Just let go of the wheel!"

"Why?! If I don't hold on, we'll die!"

"STOP THE CAR!"

"DON'T TALK TO ME LIKE THAT!"

Needless to say, Kaliope did not get her licence that day.

Lia glared at the driving instructor from her driveway, watching as he ran around the car to climb into the driver's seat. His tyres squealed as he peeled away from the sidewalk.

"Well, little songbird, it looks like you're stuck with me as a chauffeur."

Lia blew her hair out of her face, her eyes glowing with a murderous rage that was slowly draining the further away the instructor drove.

Driving was not fun.

She refused to do it again.

She was fine with legs while on land, thankyouverymuch.

"I am 100% OK with that. I think I'll get Care to pick me up for school, though."

"A wise choice, gorgeous."

*TVDM*

"Oh, my God, Lia! You're adorable!"

Dressed in a denim, three-quarter sleeved button up, a flowing white layered skirt that ended just below mid-thigh, a thick brown belt with gold buckle cinching her waist, her hair pinned on one side and her bangs perfectly swept across her forehead, not to mention her little brown booties, Lia felt adorable. Hearing Care's words, though, sent the siren into preen mode.

"Thank you, darling. You, as always, look gorgeous," Lia smiled primly before positively beaming. "I can't believe today is the day. School! I'm so excited!"

"Oh, Lia," Care sighed, throwing her turn signal before turning onto the main road. "I'm so sorry."

"What?" Lia turned to face the blonde fully, dumbfounded by the regret in her bright blue eyes. "Why?"

"You're going to hate it by the end of the day. It's going to suck out your very soul so I'm apologising on behalf of the student body as future Miss Mystic Falls."

Lia blinked, turning back to the road as she watched the school draw nearer, a new sense of caution settling over her.

Was this a mistake?

Was this a new threat she hadn't factored in?

Surely Enzo or Slater would have warned her…

Caroline pulled her keys out of the ignition and opened her door.

Too late to turn back now.

"So, first we'll stop by my locker, then we'll head to the office to get you signed in. They'll give you your class schedule and we'll compare. We have to be in something together."

"Aye, aye, el cap-ee-tan," Lia whipped a lazy salute in the blonde's direction, earning an unimpressed eyebrow.

"Cute."

Lia smiled bashfully, linking her arm through Caroline's. "I know, you've already told me today."

Care huffed a sigh, rolling her eyes and ignoring the smile pulling at her lips.

"Oh, there's Elena."

Lia was dragged in front of Bonnie and the girl she recognised from the shore under Wickery bridge. She was a very pretty girl; doe brown eyes, straight brown hair, lovely tan.

She wasn't her Care, though.

"Oh my God, Elena, how are you? How is she, is she good?" Caroline bulldozed her way into the pair, hugging the brunette before firing her rapid questions.

"Caroline, I'm right here and I'm fine," Elena smiled weakly.

Lia immediately did not like her.

"Hello," Lia cut in, not really wanting to hear Caroline care anymore about the teen that couldn't give her even a sliver of energy. Lia knew that the 'friends' hadn't seen each other all summer, especially with how busy Caroline had been with all her community and cheer activities. The fact that this ungrateful teenager couldn't find it in her to care as much for Caroline as Caroline cared for her ground Lia's teeth.

Elena didn't deserve Caroline.

"Oh, hi, I'm Elena," she smiled at the new girl, a little intimidated by her beauty and the firm look she was receiving. Elena felt like she was receiving a dress down and didn't know what the criteria was so she couldn't defend herself. "Bonnie mentioned we'd be getting a new student this semester."

Lia smiled thinly, discreetly looping her arm through Care's once more. "There's actually two of us."

"And as a new student," Caroline cut in. "We have to go to the office. See you later."

Lia let herself be led, trying to quell the irritation that the girl stirred in her. Humans were complex. They did not feel one thing at a time. There was no excuse for Elena's brush off, plus the exasperation that rolled off the teen when the blonde tried to offer comfort was aggravating. The two girls they'd just left behind were truly the worst sort of friends. Bonnie saw what she wanted to see; a shallow Caroline that was a busy bee and a great friend to gossip with while Elena had all of her attention, emotional support and confidence. Elena, on the other hand, wanted to be cared for but didn't care much in return. She was used to being the golden girl that could do no wrong and therefore, unintentionally or not, had placed herself and no doubt her ideas and opinions above everyone else, deciding that her opinion mattered more than trying to cater for friendships built on equality. Lia's Care Bear was their magazine; picked up for a bit of entertainment before thrown back on the table.

She didn't notice they'd stopped until fingers snapped in front of her face.

"Hello? Earth to Kaliope? What's got you drifting into space?"

Lia blinked in surprise, looking around the office before glancing at the blonde. She was embarrassed to see the books in her friend's arms. She hadn't realised they'd even made it to Care's locker yet, let alone finished with it and moved on.

"You deserve better," was all she said before stepping up to the counter.

Finishing up and receiving her schedule, it was immediately snatched from Lia's hands by an exasperated, slightly flushed teenage Forbes.

"You have got to stop doing that!" the blonde hissed before running her eyes over the paper she'd just acquired.

"You're going to have to elaborate, gorgeous," Lia raised an eyebrow, looking very much like her brother, as Caroline led the way to her new locker.

"Saying the nicest things and then leaving me to drown in the warm fuzzies!" Caroline whined. "It's not fair."

"But your cheeks turn such a pretty pink," Lia sighed, opening her locker and packing her bag away while pulling out what she'd need for her first classes. "My brother certainly thinks so."

"God, your brother can think anything he wants about me," Caroline sighed dreamily, earning herself a deadpanned look from the green-eyed water creature.

"Really? I thought my love was all you needed? You literally serenaded me the other day, telling me how your life would suck without me because we belong together."

Caroline scoffed, leading the way to Lia's first class; History. "Oh, please, just because I was singing along to Kelly Clarkson while you were in the car, doesn't mean you were the one I was thinking of. You are and will forever be my sister-in-law, future or otherwise."

Lia's eyes went wide before she beamed, bouncing on her toes at the thought.

"Omigod Caroline! That would be perfect!" bouncing up and giving the teen a kiss on the cheek, she called over her shoulder as she entered the classroom. "We'll have to make plans!"

"I don't need your help getting my man!" Caroline laughed, flipping her hair over her shoulder as she left for her own class.

It wasn't until Caroline was seated and pulling her out her pen that she froze, realising who she had left Lia with.

I hope she can handle getting Tannered.

*TVDM*

"Thank you, Mr…?"

"Salvatore."

"Any relation to the founding family?"

"Distant."

"I see, well, you're correct, except there were no civilian casualties."

"Actually, sir, there were 27. Soldiers fired on the church, believing it housed weapons. It was a night of great loss. If you want to brush up on the facts, the founder's archives at City Hall have copies for public viewing," Stefan smiled thinly at the man, not breaking eye contact even as those around him laughed at the expense of the unpopular history teacher.

Lia, however, groaned. She was bored, bored, bored. She did not accept Caroline's apology. She could have learned at least 18 different, life-changing facts by now! Teachers sucked in comparison to YouTube.

"I'm sorry, are we boring you, Miss…?" Tanner asked, borderline glaring at the other new face in his class who looked to be 30 seconds away from taking a nap.

"Kaliope Sirena Athánatos, no relation to any founding families," she smiled sweetly. "And yes, thank you for asking. Can we learn something now? My attention span can only take so much abuse."

The bell rang before Tanner could get another word in. Lia was up with a huff and out the door a little too quickly, though it was easily brushed off as her being too eager to leave Tanner which, no one blamed her.

"Lia," Stefan called, a half-smile of amusement pulling at his features. "I haven't seen you since you left the boarding house. How's things?"

"The good news; the pool is only a week away from being done!" Lia twirled gracefully, capturing a few people's attention before her shoulders slumped and she pouted up at the vampire. "The bad news; school is not what I thought it would be."

Stefan interrupted himself as his gaze caught Elena's. He excused himself and went to join her, leaving Lia to shrug and continue on to her next class. She hadn't restarted any kind of relationship with Stefan after removing his memory of her and her boys. She hadn't seen the point, not when his brother was her brother's Undesirable Number 1.

The day was just as boring as it had started, the teachers were just less on the asshole side and more on the ugh side. Even her enthusiasm for music was dwindling, but she had hope that the class would make a good start to the day tomorrow.

She was dragging her feet to the cafeteria by the time lunch rolled around. She practically ran at Caroline when she saw her, crawling over the bench and sitting across the blonde's lap, ignoring the 'oomph' at her weight and the instant protests. The siren was in need of attention and affection. She was going through withdrawals now that she didn't have Loren and Slater with her all day.

"This place is awful. Why did I say no to college?" Lia mumbled into her friend's shoulder, ignoring the sounds of protest.

Caroline sighed, rolling her eyes as she started to pet the raven locks in front of her, amazed as always with how soft they were. "Because you would miss me too much?"

"Oh, yeah," Lia hummed in agreement, turning her head to the other occupants of the table. She blinked when she saw the boys she'd met at her first trip to the Grill. "Hello again, Matthew, Tyler. Nice to see you."

"Hey, Lia," the blonde boy shifted, offering a small but kind smile to the limpet. "And, just Matt."

"Rough first day, huh?" Tyler smirked, ripping into some form of food he grabbed from his plate.

Lia rolled her eyes and was just about to start complaining heavily when she spotted a tall foam cup in the corner of her eye, a straw sitting perfectly straight in its lid. Slowly, without removing her eyes from the mysterious beverage, Lia turned her head to face Caroline.

"Is that what I think it is?" Lia spoke in hushed tones, as if worried that she would startle the inanimate object into fleeing.

Elena and Bonnie dropped onto the bench, about to open their mouths in greeting but Tyler shushed them, all their attention going to the hyper-focused raven-haired girl.

"Yes, it is and yes, it's yours. You're welcome," Caroline scoffed, unable to hide the fond exasperation in the smile that creeped across her face.

Lia slowly slid off Caroline's lap and onto the bench, coming to a stop when she was directly in front of the beverage. She gently cradled it, humming in content at the cool temperature. Closing her mouth around the straw, she sipped.

She swallowed.

She sighed.

Heaven.

"This is delicious," Lia's eyes were wide with wonder. There was something in it that was gooey and chewy and that was awesome.

"Caramel's my favourite," Care admitted, grabbing her own cup and taking a sip. She normally didn't indulge but she'd worked hard this summer, damn it, and she figured that both her and Lia would need a pick-me-up after the first day of school. Besides, if the lunch ladies did one thing right, it was milkshakes.

"Really?" Lia asked, surprised. "I won't even bother with the others, then. I've been spoiled by the best."

"What? No. I don't hate the others. You'll have to find your own favourite."

"But I trust your opinion and, therefore, your tastebuds. You've never led me wrong; I mean, look at my clothes."

Caroline didn't say anything as she took another sip of her drink, her cheeks pink and her eyes bright. She didn't know how Lia did it. Just as casually as one picks a flower off the side of the road, Lia just threw these sweet and nice and kind comments out there.

They meant everything to Caroline.

"So how are classes?"

Lia watched as Caroline's eyes lost just a hint of their sparkle, her blush faded and she plastered on her plastic smile. Lia glared at Elena, not even bothering to look up when Stefan came to join them.

As the period finished, Caroline dragged Lia along to her locker, demanding to know why she'd held out on the 'hot guy deets.'

"Because you're destined to be my sister-in-law?" Lia's 'duh' was heavily implied by the raised eyebrow. "You don't want Stefan. Stefan is cursed. You want a man with an accent who loves family and values loyalty and honesty. You want a man who appreciates a girl who can think for herself so that you can stop painting your face with those smiles that are as fake as the denim of that girl's jeggings."

Caroline blinked. Lia had known her barely a few months, most of their time talking over the phone, and yet she knew her better than her friends since diapers.

"Come on, we finally have a class together!" Lia snatched her hand and led the way to the classroom her schedule had listed. "I'll give you the need to know on the Stefan front."

God, Lia knew her well.

*TVDM*

"There will be no curfew."

The words startled Lia as she walked through the front door after being dropped off by Care. Enzo was sitting on the couch, a glass of amber liquid lazily dangling in his fingers while he stared at the TV.

"I see," Lia cocked her head, dropping her bag on the coffee table before taking a seat next to her brother, curling into his side and letting his arm drape around her shoulders. "Are you going out to track down Damon, then?"

"Nah," Enzo smirked, taking a sip. "I'm a vampire hunter on the council. I say, let him build up a bit of a body count and then, with the confidence of the townspeople behind me, hunt him down."

"Ah, the old dungeon, chains, torture, 'who are you working for?!' schtick?" Lia hummed thoughtfully. "Could be fun. Of course, you'd have to make sure you were the only interrogator. Can't have him spilling your beans now, can we?" Lia sighed before hopping back up, collecting her bag and heading for the stairs. "Also! Tomorrow, the Falls, a back-to-school party have been organised. It's apparently tradition."

"A certain traitor might have put in his RSVP," Enzo tilted his head in thought. "Doesn't matter, either way. I can't do anything yet or he might take off. Best to think he's on top before I pounce. I'll turn someone else so the council has a body while I make him suffer."

The empty glass shattered in his hand, causing Lia to pout and Enzo to sigh at the mess.

"Anyway, Care's picking me up in a few hours. We're heading to the Grill for dinner!"

"Ah, and how is the lovely Caroline?" Enzo questioned casually, head tilting back to look at the raven-haired girl standing on the fourth step.

"She's fine, totally in her element taking charge of what ever there is to take charge of," Lia smiled fondly before smirking at her brother. "I've been trying to convince her to start planning your wedding."

Enzo rolled his eyes. "I don't need you to help me get the girl, gorgeous."

"Funny," Lia grinned. "That's what she said."

Enzo blinked before chuckling. "Do you think, 'to infinity and beyond,' is too corny when replacing, 'til death do you part'?"

"I think you best check that immortality is something she'd consider before jumping in to 'eternally bound,' don't you?" Lia's teasing turned serious as she met Enzo's gaze. "I'm going to tell her, at least about me."

Enzo nodded, his demeanour matching hers. "I'll be here, angel. You trust her and I trust you."

*TVDM*

"Do you have any siblings?" Elena asked.

Caroline, Bonnie, Elena, Stefan and Lia were all seated at a table in the Grill playing the 'get to know you' game. Lia was bored but kept her silence while sipping on her caramel thick shake with an extra caramel swirl and chocolate bits. She'd already told Caroline what she knew, phrasing it as 'what Stefan told me while I lived at the boarding house.' She'd also let slip that, while Stefan didn't know Enzo, Enzo knew his brother and hated him.

"None that I talk to," Stefan offered a thin smile as he looked at the woman who just would not leave his mind.

"Oh? Then how many siblings do you have that you don'ttalk to?" Caroline asked, her plastic smile nice and shiny.

"Uh, a brother," Stefan shifted uncomfortably, quickly turning back to Elena. "I live with my uncle."

"Older?" Lia asked, twirling her straw through her remaining drink.

"Yeah. I don't like talking about him," Stefan frowned, his hand resting on his lap curling into a fist.

"So, you're new," Caroline stated unnecessarily. "You don't know about the party tomorrow at the falls."

"It's a back-to-school tradition," Bonnie added.

"Are you going?" Stefan asked, his attention on Elena.

"Of course, she is," Bonnie answered for her, a smarmy smile on her lips.

The couple were locked in their shy, flirty stare down, leaving the other three to share an eye roll. Lia finished her drink with a satisfied sigh before tilting her head up at Caroline.

"Can you stay over tonight?"

"Of course, I can. I'll leave a note for my mum, she probably won't even notice," Care flipped her hair, grabbing up her bag.

"Good," Lia beat her to it, dropping a few notes on the table. "Because I have secrets to share, gossip to tell and a need for Care Bear snuggles."

Waving goodbye to the group, not that Stelena noticed, the girls jumped into Caroline's car and, with a quick stop at the Forbes' residence to grab her things, they headed for Lia's.

"Before we get into the heavy," Caroline said as she shut her car door. "I just have to ask. Are you OK?"

"Caroline," Lia smiled fondly, wrapping her arm through the blonde's as they made their way to the front door. "I am more than OK. I will warn you, tonight will blow your mind."

"Oh, God, are we sharing our first lesbian experience?" Caroline groaned, her face immediately going red at the deep male laughter that came from the now-open door.

"No, gorgeous. I wouldn't have been invited, otherwise," Enzo smirked.

"Raincheck, then," Caroline smiled, willing her cheeks to cool down while the siblings laughed.

"Ok, so, family meeting of some kind that's now involving me. This spells big news." Caroline dragged Lia across the living room to the love seat, holding her hand and intertwining their fingers before loosing a big breath. "Lay it on me."

Enzo smirked, displaying his amusement and pride at the teen, before nodding to his sister.

"The stage is yours, little songbird."

*TVDM*

"OK. OK. God, Lia. You're a freaking mermaid!"

"Yes," Lia smiled serenely, watching Caroline fawn over her tail. The blonde softly touched her glossy scales, eyes wide in disbelief. The poor couch under her squeaked and groaned as she shifted, not at all happy with her weight. "I'm so glad you're taking this well. I don't know what I would have done if I'd lost you."

"Lia," Caroline groaned, her face tinted pink. "I love you, stupid. No way would I toss you just because you're not human. I called it, though; I totally knew you weren't one of us mere mortals the first time I met you. God, Lia! I'm friends with the little mermaid!"

"Uh, hello? Murderous vampire, over here. Where's my standing ovation?"

The girls turned to look at Enzo. His eyebrow was raised but Lia knew him well enough to see the pout threatening to take over. She grinned gleefully.

"Oh, please. Little girls don't dream of vampires, Enzo. They dream of fairies and unicorns and mermaids. Horny teenage girls dream about vampires and werewolves," Caroline scoffed, flipping her hair as she cocked a sassy eyebrow.

"Oh?" Enzo was in front of her in an instant. "And tell me, gorgeous, who's team are you on, hm? Want yourself a furry snuggle buddy? Or someone with a little more stamina than most?" he smirked, taking a sip of his liquor. Caroline's mouth went dry as she watched his throat bob, his eyes darkening as they never left her.

"Where's Slater?"

The tension dissipated as Caroline cleared her throat, taking a step back from the too-attractive English vampire who was not Lia's blood brother, but her brother in every other way.

"He wanted to travel around and look into werewolves. He's been warned, extensively, not to go looking on full moons, however, he said something about having old contacts. He went back to Richmond." Slater had bought another tempered-glass apartment, the room above his previous one. He'd found Alice and compelled her to forget about the existence of vampires, hoping against hope that maybe, maybe, she'd still be interested in dating him even without her supernatural knowledge.

She hadn't given him the time of day.

So, with a heart fresh out of a relationship, he'd decided now was the best time to go out, travel, enjoy the sun and look into werewolves. He knew about the Sun and Moon curse, but hadn't thought much of it purely because he thought werewolves were either extinct or close to. After his discussions with Lia, his 'ravenclaw' side demanded all the information he could find.

Lia pouted, completely understanding his reasons for just wanting to get away but also cross that he hadn't even said goodbye. Not that they'd be separated for very long; at least, not by immortal standards.

"So, you're the only mermaid. I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that you're not the only vampire?" Caroline questioned, sitting next to a newly-shifted Lia and letting the siren snuggle into her side with a brilliant smile.

"Oh, love, you have no idea."

*TVDM*

Caroline was emotionally drained that night. She lay in Lia's arms, curled tightly around her friend and letting the soothing siren song wash over her to help sort through her turbulent thoughts and feelings.

She had sat in Enzo's lap and just hugged him, her tears silently streaming down her cheeks as he recounted his years as a vampire. The pain he'd been inflicted, the loss, the salvation. No wonder Lia meant so much to him.

And the betrayal.

One of the biggest shocks of the night had been the knowledge that Stefan and his brother were vampires, and why Damon had been such a point of disdain when Lia had told her about him, however vaguely, earlier that day. Another being that her mother was on a secret council that knew about the supernatural and had inducted Enzo as their latest member.

"Don't get me wrong. For humans, they're doing well enough," Enzo had said as he'd poured the teen a finger of bourbon before topping his own glass up to half full. "But the fact that they have a supply of vervain and don't distribute it to the whole town is… well, I don't know what it is. Selfish? Ignorant? Would it be that difficult to add it to the town's water supply? To their meals at the Grill? I mean, I could compel you right now to be my blood bag and sex slave. Why? Because your mother, a mother who is aware of what goes bump in the night and has access to vervain, has not given you any means to protect yourself."

"Speaking of; here," Lia had passed a small red velvet box to the blonde. It held a silver toe ring designed like a delicate braid. "It's been coated in vervain resin. It will protect you from compulsion."

Caroline had immediately put it on, promising herself to never remove it. It really was the perfect choice in jewellery. If gold went with her outfit better, all she had to do was wear enclosed shoes.

Caroline smiled as she snuggled further into her friend, earning herself gentle fingers carding themselves through her hair. She sighed happily, letting her worries for the future drift off as sleep finally began to take hold.

Nothing had changed, really. It was only her perspective that had.

*TVDM*

The school day flew by for some, dragged heavily for Lia, and finally it was time for the bonfire at the falls. Lia kept her arm linked with Caroline, each girl had a red cup in hand as they socialised, Lia smiling and nodding more than anything after being introduced to people she'd already forgotten the names of. She was impressed that Caroline could literally name everyone that had attended, even those not invited.

Lia offered to top up their drinks while Caroline was talking to Banner or Danner or something.

Not two seconds after the siren left, Caroline spotted Stefan arrive.

She nervously wiped the sweat from her palm, shaking herself slightly. She'd come to terms with his non-human status during the day, concluding that he obviously didn't want to eat the student body if he'd taken the time to enrol. So, with all the courage she could muster, she marched in his direction.

"Hey, you made it!" Caroline smiled her politician smile, watching as his eyes flickered somewhere behind her before offering a smile of his own.

"I did."

"Well, let's go get you a drink," she tilted her head in the direction the keg was set up and, no doubt, the general vicinity of Lia.

Lia who already had her two filled cups and was slowly making her way back while listening in.

"Oh, no I-"

"Oh, come on," Caroline rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "Lia's over there somewhere, too. You can say hey."

"No need," Lia smiled, startling the pair, though only disturbing Stefan. He didn't hear her approach. "Here, I'm cutting myself off before I become noticeably inebriated. Wouldn't hear the end of it from brother dearest," she teased, holding out the two plastic cups.

"Thanks," Stefan smiled, accepting the beverage. "I'll catch up with you two later, I'm gonna say hi to Elena."

The girls watched him walk off before sharing a knowing look. Lia sighed as she looked around the party, her gaze was drawn to a familiar face sitting at one of the picnic areas.

"Elena's brother, right?"

Caroline followed her gaze, nodding in confirmation. "Yeah, that's Jeremy."

Lia frowned. "He's lonely."

"Uh, yeah? His friends were art kids and he dropped art for drugs. He's alone most of the time these days, unless he's getting high with Vicki Donovan."

"He's been going through his grieving alone. Doesn't he live with his sister and Aunt?"

"Yeah, Jenna. She's a college student, a psychologist in the making."

"Ugh, no wonder," Lia spared her a glance to roll her eyes before honing back in on the young man. "She'd be using her newly-studied knowledge rather than just being there for family, as family. Elena, of course, is the main character in her own movie, music in the background, long stares out of windows," she raises an unimpressed eyebrow at Caroline. "And let me guess, she keeps a diary. She doesn't see anyone else's suffering above her own."

"Harsh," Caroline turned away from Lia to look at baby Gilbert, too. "Why do you hate Elena so much?"

"I don't hate her," Lia defends before sighing, letting her shoulders slump. "I don't like her, Caroline. I don't like that she takes you for granted, treating you like a pet dog left outside all day until she gives you some affection when she's in the mood. She's not grieving, she's just denying that things have changed now that she's back in the routine of school. She's obviously spent the summer accepting comfort from Bonnie while not actually working through her issues. She's ignored her aunt and brother so that she's not faced with the reality of her loss. She's being selfish in her sadness. Look at her brother, Caroline. He needed his aunt but she tried to be a psychologist instead. He needed his sister but she wasn't there. Who did he turn to? Vicki Donovan, which led to him picking up her habits to receive her comfort and support, which means drugs. Just because she's sad, doesn't mean the world stops turning. Tanner was a dick about it, but he wasn't wrong; she's had months to start working through her grief but she's still denying it. It's a natural stage when dealing with loss, but the world around her isn't denying it, and its moving on. What pisses me off the most is that she knows this. She knows the world won't stop. She's fine to preach about it, but she won't put it to practice. On top of the hypocrisy, she doesn't appreciate what she has. She's using Bonnie for kind words, using Stefan as a distraction to further push the loss away, ignoring her remaining family because she's not ready and putting you in a box because she's too exhausted pretending that she just can't handle your energy. A friend isn't supposed to handle anything, Caroline. They're supposed to accept you for you."

Caroline watched her friend rant in shock. Watched as her words grew more impassioned, watched as her eyes started to glow and watched as the very air around them seemed to buzz.

Lia sighed, tugging the ends of her hair as she looked at the blonde. A weary smile crossed her features, revealing just a fraction of her age. "She has grown up the Golden Girl, Caroline. She can do no wrong, her opinions matter most and she can do no wrong. I dread the day she becomes a part of the supernatural world. If my gut is right, death will follow her and I want you and Enzo and Slater nowhere near her when that day comes."

Leaning up to kiss her on the cheek, Lia walks away to grab herself a drink. She definitely felt like she needed one.

Caroline, on the other hand, is completely lost in her thoughts. She walks around the party, absently greeting those she hadn't seen yet as she processes Lia's words. She'd been friends with Elena for years and she knew that Elena could be so nice and kind and gentle. She could also be selfish, uncaring and manipulative. She knew she could be selfish and petty, controlling and bitchy. What teenage girl didn't have flaws?

Her thoughts were interrupted as she spotted the Salvatore vampire watching Matt and Elena talk. Deciding to try and give Matt his much-needed time to talk, she approached with her perfected smile already in place.

"Hey! There you are. Have you been down to the falls yet? Because they're really cool at night. I can show you? If you want."

"I think you've had too much to drink," Stefan smiled, not unkindly.

"Uh, of course I have," it's a party, God. "So-"

"Caroline. You and me, it's not gonna happen. Sorry," Stefan walked away without giving her time to respond.

Caroline was stunned.

She wasn't interested. Sure, she might have been before she knew he was a vampire and before she'd met Lia and Enzo, but in the here and now?

She was just offended.

Caroline scoffed before stomping off to find Lia, in serious need of ranting.

She'd just managed to find the elusive raven-haired beauty when someone started shouting for help. The newly reunited girls turned to see Vicki Donovan being carried out of the woods, people crowding, Matt shouting, and 911 being called. Stefan disappeared, animal control arrived and so did the police, prompting Caroline to hide in Bonnie's car with Lia giggling at her while Bonnie went to tell Elena they were taking off.

The drive to Mainline Coffee was spent with an intoxicated Caroline harping on Stefan in the backseat next to Lia. She raved about how offended she was regarding his assumption that she wanted a relationship with him. She was just being friendly and he had to read into it like she was some kind of floozy!

Lia said all the right things, scoffing and laughing along while Bonnie remained oddly silent. Caroline knew that her relationship with the Bennett had drifted a little, ever since that day in the Grill when she near-interrogated Caroline about her relationship with Lia.

Caroline's eyes widened before she frowned in thought. Bonnie had sensed something from Lia. She'd been talking about psychics lately, because of her Grams. Now that Caroline was in the know, she started to wonder how much truth there was to it all.

Caroline linked her arm with Lia as they walked in, finding a table and leaning against each other. Caroline sighed as she looked at Lia, ignoring the amused, knowing smirk that painted the mermaid's face. She couldn't help it; she was jealous. No doubt she looked like a raccoon with had hair while Lia looked as perfect as ever.

Stupid unsleeping, immortal fish.

"You sober yet?"

Blinking in surprise, Caroline looked over to Bonnie, seeing the exasperation on her face. It hurt. If she were Elena, Bonnie would have invited her over, would have stayed without complaint. She's always the one that everyone picks, for everything, and she doesn't even have to try.

"I'm not touching that."

Caroline flinches back, not having realised she'd said anything out loud and not prepared for the harsh blow those words struck. God, what was wrong with her? She-

"You can leave, Bonnie Bennett. My brother will come to collect us."

Caroline's breath caught at the rage that glowed in Lia's eyes.

Bonnie was on edge, not really wanting to leave her friend there but not wanting to stay near the unknown element for a second longer.

"I couldn't-"

"I think you'll find you can," Lia interrupted the token protest through gritted teeth, her glare turning even more vicious. "You are no longer welcome in my company. Get out of my sight before I make you."

Bonnie shuddered under the weight of the threat, her lungs felt like lead and her legs like jelly. She stood, barely sparing Caroline a glance as she left.

Lia held Caroline's hand tightly under the table, leaning her head on her shoulder.

"You deserve better," was all she said, squeezing her hand once more before getting up and heading for the counter. This was not a coffee night. This was a shake night.

Caroline blinked away the tears that had started to gather, a sad but genuine smile tugging at her lips. She knew she had been trapped by the siren, and she couldn't care less. She had never had a friend like Kaliope, and she never wanted to be without again.

Releasing a shuddering breath, Caroline looked over to see a man looking at her. He was attractive, ice blue eyes, black hair, fair skin and a gentle smile on his face. She smiled back before looking over to see Lia coming back with two huge milkshakes, caramel by the look of it. They were decked with whipped cream, caramel sauce, chocolate shavings and a cherry on top. Lia wore the most excited grin she'd seen that night, pulling a laugh from the blonde. Gently setting her bounty on the table she bounced on the spot before quickly taking her seat again.

"You're amazing," Caroline smiled, rolling her eyes as she earned herself a kiss on the cheek.

"I know, darling," Lia's accent curled. "Feel free to praise me more. I'm a sucker for a compliment, after all. Now! I suggest a toast! To friends that are worth it, and men who deserve it."

The two girls raised their shakes in cheers before digging in, Caroline looking back across the table to see the mystery man gone.

For the next 10 minutes, the girls spoke about how they were going to get even with Stefan, what a jerk Tanner was and how Slater was doing.

"He called just before brother darling dropped me at your place," Lia tilted her head as she remembered the conversation. "He's had no luck so far, but he heard a very vague rumour leading him to Tennessee."

"God, I'm considering dropping out and joining him on his puppy hunt. Seriously, this perspective shift is seriously messing with my priorities," Caroline sighed, shaking her head.

"Get used to it, buttercup," Lia slurped the last of her drink before grabbing her cherry by the stem, waving it in Caroline's direction. "You said yourself that you wouldn't even consider being immortal until you were 18. Best live by human standards until you accept the kiss of death and live with Loren forevermore."

"Oh, please. Yes, your brother is gorgeous. Yes, we joke about us getting married and what ever else. That doesn't mean we'd work out. I mean, I'll be the first to admit I am a goner for his accent but how do I know that we'd be happy together forever? That, it just seems like such a big commitment."

Lia took her friend's hand, holding it gently between hers as she smiled. "My darling Care Bear. It only seems so big because you're mind is struggling to comprehend immortality. It is not all or nothing. What you need to realise is that all relationships start and all have the possibility of ending. Immortality doesn't change that. All it means is that forever is a much longer timeframe and you have more time to find your special someone. Even if you and Loren did end up in a relationship, it doesn't mean you have to stay with it for all eternity. Just know, if you do take the road of immortality, you won't be alone. Regardless of your relationship status, I would always be in your life. You cannot get rid of me that easily, darling. I'm here to stay because you are my friend."

Caroline looked into those emerald eyes, looking for any sign that she was joking, any hint of amusement. Finding none, the blonde glomped the mermaid in a tight hug, staying like that until Lia's phone chimed.

"Come, my blonde bombshell," Lia kissed her cheek and bounced to her feet. "Loren's here!"

Arms linked; the pair skipped toward their ride home.