And there are places I will never ever go

And things that only Carolina will ever know

Taylor Swift, "Carolina"


30. PERCHANCE OF REWINDING TIME. Part 1.

They see it burning down, and it becomes clear saving the house is out of the picture, as much as the firefighters are trying to. Fortunately, Liz wasn't inside and no one else was hurt either, but as Caroline tightens her grasp on his hand, Stefan knows just how much this hurts. It doesn't matter she was already leaving this place behind: there is history in this house and not all of it is heartbreak.

But Liz is okay, and that is all Caroline wants to take from this. Even if they are not in speaking terms (the compelling is still in effect, and to her mother, Caroline is the daughter she kicked out of the house, the daughter who cut all ties with her, and they won't even speak with one another if it is not necessary).

"The travelers." She mutters.

"What?" Bonnie asks, not knowing what happened the day before."

"We can't be sure yet," Stefan thinks it's better to be cautious, but he also believes it must be their doing.

They have infiltrated their town.

"Come on, Stefan, yesterday they attacked you and Damon, and now my mom's house was set on fire. They are probably looking for the cure, thinking I have it. Or maybe it is a warning."

In fact, this can only mean one thing: they are in town, and they might have been around for a while. How are they going to tell how many of the residents are being used as vessels right now?

"You have to slow down and explain things to me." Bonnie says.

"The cursed witches that want to control all magic and eliminate us from the world." Stefan says, "they know about me going back and changing things, apparently their leader who is dead and on the Other Side, told them about this."

"So it is true." Bonnie frowns. "This is bad. Very bad. What if every supernatural being who is on the Other Side is conscious of the loop? It is going to be chaotic. This is what Emily and Qetsiyah warned me about."

"But if they are in Mystic Falls, why did they go to my house?" Caroline wonders " Shouldn't they know we are at the boarding house?"

"Maybe it's because of the protection spell I put over there." Both he and Caroline turn to Bonnie, surprised. "After everything I learned from you recently, I thought it was wise. I just need to regain my strength and in a couple of days I will do the same with Elena's house as well."

"Then you have to come and stay at our house for the time being. You might be in danger too, Bonnie."

She presses her lips tightly and avoids looking at either of them. "I don't think that's a very good idea right now."

"No, Stefan is right. You are coming with us."


It just takes one trip from Bonnie's place to the boarding house and everything is settled.

Caroline's strong will has only been perfected with time, something that still impresses Stefan even if it isn't really surprising, so Bonnie can't say no. And, showing off her cupid skills, his wife goes a step further and assigns Enzo the task of keeping Bonnie safe at all times. Enzo does not complain, which goes to say he is grateful for the girls saving him from captivity. This is also a good way to keep him from plotting revenge (at least for the moment).

"What do we do now? This is a mess." Caroline echoes his own thoughts when they are alone in their bedroom.

"I'll go to Atlanta and see that the other doppelganger is still alive… if they haven't found him yet, keeping him alive is key to stopping the Travelers' plans."

Elena is the only one of Amara's line alive, but for the purpose of breaking the Travelers' curse, either he or Tom Avery have to die.

"Right… I know."

"Damon and Bonnie will look for the original bodies. If they are not in the caves, then they had to hide somewhere else nearby. After that… I think we have to find Silas, too."

He should have given Silas the cure and killed him on the spot instead of deciding to get revenge.

"Why…" There is a shadow crossing Caroline's eyes. "That despicable witch, there must be a way to kill him for good."

"There is. I just have to give him the cure for good next time." Then stab his heart.

"I am going to Atlanta with you. I don't think you should be alone when they are trying to capitalize on the doppelganger connection. Now that I think about it, should we ally with the Gemini coven, too?"

That won't happen if he can help it. Stefan still remembers the Gemini as the coven full of despicable witches, not very different from the Travelers at all. Perhaps it was also because their actions, transferring Jo and Alaric's babies inside of Caroline, changed forever the course that their lives could have otherwise had… These are things he thought were forgiven and forgotten, but now when he thinks about the past, Stefan finds there is some resentment left.

"It won't get that far."

"But if they have Tom…"

"Caroline," his eyes fall on her, and it occurs to him that her worries about the doppelganger might not be linked to that short exchange a lifetime ago. After all, she has another set of memories he is not privy to. "Please, tell me what is bothering you."

"Tom saved me, and he saved my children. Maybe this is not the same man, but it does not matter. I still owe him."

Her words only raise more questions and leave a bitter taste in his tongue.

"How…"

"Stefan, let's not talk about this now."

So he swallows and the bitterness settles in his stomach.


It is jealousy. It whispers in his head, filling him with poisonous thoughts about everything he missed in Caroline's previous lives.

She is the one to find Tom and approach him the moment the guy arrives at the bar.

How can he not hate Tom? He is human, and good, and free of all the mistakes Stefan has dragged into his relationship with Caroline from the very beginning. It is ridiculous and childish, even, because he knows she loves him (their love has survived too much to waver for some imitation of him).

At the same time, it makes sense. If he could be the best version of himself, wouldn't he want to be like Tom? And Caroline deserves the best version of himself.

There must be a reason why they were close enough in a past life that his doppelganger saved Caroline's life.

"Fine. I'll go with you." Tom's declaration makes Stefan frown.

He is just meeting his doppelganger and being thrown into their supernatural world, and the guy is just fine with it?

This is not the reaction of the average person.

"Really?" Caroline sounds just as surprised by this answer. "Why?"

Tom raises an eyebrow.

"You just told me there is an aquelarre of witches or something trying to kill me. He looks just like me and I know I don't have a twin. Besides, I just have this feeling… You are someone I can trust. Weird, isn't it?"

"Then we have a deal." Stefan is getting tired of this guy making eyes at his wife. "Get into the car."

Much later, when they are back to Mystic Falls, he tells Damon about this moment when he wanted to kill the man he was supposed to save, and for such a stupid reason. But his brother just mocks him.

"I thought the doppelgänger course would make you all fall in love with the likes of Katherine and Elena, so Blondie?"

"I think I'm way past that curse."

"It's funny because according to your stories, Silas was an obsessive ass who transferred his obsession to you. But now you are obsessed with Care Bear, and it seems you dragged your clone along with you in that vomit-inducing path." Damon finishes his bourbon and pats his back. "Blame no one but yourself, little brother."