I am sorry for the lack of updates, but sometimes life gets in the way. So I thought it was better to share with you this half of a chapter that was been sitting on my desk for way too long, just so you know this story has not been abandoned.
If I could, then I would… I'll go wherever you will go
Way up high or down low, I'll go wherever you will go
And maybe, I'll find out a way to make it back someday
To watch you, to guide you through the darkest of your days
The Calling, "Wherever you will go"
23. THIS OLD CURSE. 1
A letter to Damon and a phone number to Bonnie that is supposed to be used only in emergencies and that, fortunately, has been silent for days. This is all they needed to leave Mystic Falls behind, albeit temporarily.
Elena is just starting to adjust to being a vampire. Klaus is gone, and he is probably going to take his time to create his hybrids this time around, considering the limited amount of doppelgangers blood he has left. So all is well back at home (until the time comes to deal with the other enemies that are waiting ahead).
But now they are sitting on a terrace with the view towards the beach, and Caroline is immersed in her writing. She has taken up this hobby recently, too, because it helps her organize her memories.
There are days when Stefan is too curious about what is written on those pages, but he accepts the bits she shares with him.
She often remembers, she says, that she promised to take the twins on vacations like this once. It never happened while the girls were growing up because Alaric was too overprotective, but they did tour France once looking for an old witch that was acquainted with the Mikaelson family. Back then they were all healing. Lizzie and Jossie from her losing Alaric. And Hope… Well, it was difficult to count all the things the poor child had to go through until she reached adulthood. However, in the midst of it all, Caroline is able to recall some warm memories too. They were few and foggy, but they were there. Short lived as it might have been, but they managed to have some fun in between.
"You know, Klaus wasn't able to find peace. After finding out about that, I kept thinking about it. He sacrificed everything for her daughter, and you sacrificed everything for your brother, but in the end it was still not enough for him, so I started to worry about you, too."
She turns to look at him.
"What does it look like?"
"What?"
"peace. What were you doing all that time?"
His hand falls on hers, and he lowers his gaze.
Besides watching over her, or watching over his brother and his family, it didn't really feel like he had done much those years. Rather than being content, he had always been waiting.
"Time passed by differently," he says, then. "And I had Lexi, and your mom was around too. We were always there with you."
Her blue eyes go wide, then she frowns. "What do you mean by that?"
"It is exactly as you are thinking."
"You could see me… all that time?"
"I am sorry, Care. I promise it wasn't in a stalkerish way…" She looks away, shrugging, because he admits it is a weakness of his. "I just had to see if you were doing okay, you know, from time to time."
She stays awfully silent for a minute or two, and then stands up.
"I cannot believe it. This is totally unfair." Of all the things she could be mad about, this is the one that he did not expect (then again, it makes sense). "All I wanted to do was see you again, but it was so easy for you, of course, you didn't even have to miss anyone."
Easy.
"Being dead is the easiest after all." She whispers. "Not that I would know about that."
Even so, with the tragedy of their first lifetime together as a reminder of everything that he has done wrong before, Stefan believes these are some of the most carefree days he has ever had. Even those days when they barely make it out of the bed (in fact, those might be the best of all).
They are just pretending to be an ordinary couple of tourists at the fire-walking ritual (just the one kind of thing they will definitely not do for fun, since it could potentially kill them), and that is when the woman locks eyes with him from the other side of the crowd that circles the burning coal.
"An abomination," she mutters, and he feels cold washing over him.
There is no doubt it is a witch. A psychic.
"Stefan"
Caroline must have been distracted by the music and did not notice the woman who is now walking towards them.
"Something is wrong." He squeezes her hand, not letting go of her as he also makes his way towards the stranger.
"What happened?" She sounds worried now, but the witch answers her question soon enough.
"You both should be dead." The old woman looks straight at Caroline. "The spirits cannot be at ease as long as the two of you keep walking over this earth, disturbing the balance of life."
Caroline frowned.
"Well, it is not as if I am like this because I wanted to."
"Maybe that is true in your case, but him" the woman turns to him. "Endlessly repeating your life, you chose this path yourself. And have no doubt, you will soon pay for it."
"What do you mean? Stefan…"
Then the witch was gone, but he understood what she was telling him, like there had been fog clouding his memories of the past and it started to dissipate with the tiny bit of truth.
All this time Caroline tried to die and find peace, he gave it up willingly to live like this.
Bonnie said she couldn't find a way to help her as long as she'd been alive. So he asked her to do the opposite, and help him get here.
As if it had only been a dream, he woke up on December 29th remembering what happened to Caroline, what happened to them.
And yet, it was more complicated than that.
He sighs.
It is fine since he found her at last.
"Do you think that witch could help us?"
"I doubt it. Otherwise she would have killed us on the spot." Affecting the balance of nature… "Let's go back."
