Returning after a long time, but coming with a new chapter - no one saw this coming, right?

I also made some corrections in the first chapter, but only concerning grammar mistakes, so you don't have to re-read it if you don't want to. Alright, have a nice time reading!

Disclaimer: I don't own The Vampire Diaries.

Chapter 2

Light at the end of the tunnel

You have to fight throught some bad days to earn the best days of your life.

The following days added to the theory that a wild animal was indeed behind all the attacks. Two more bodies were found just three days after the car incident. This time more details corresponded with the theory of animal attacks. They were two campers, a couple, looking for some outdoor fun. The animal killed the male victim first and this time the victim's blood was found across the whole campsite. It seemed as if the female victim was asleep in a tent when the initial attack occurred. She went to look for her boyfriend and when she found him dead, she ran to her car to get away, suggesting the danger was still nearby or perhaps she was just too scared to stay around. Nonetheless, the animal caught up to her. She was found in the close vicinity of her car, her boyfriend along with the remains of their campsite were found not long after that.

That made Vicki so far the only victim that survived. It seemed she recovered quickly as she was released from the hospital a few days after the attack. Honestly, I pitied Matt from afar. Despite my resentment of all of them, I observed Vicki's reckless behaviour; their mother, Kelly Donovan, didn't bother to show up when her daughter was mauled by an animal and ended up in the hospital. In addition, from what I saw, the only impact it all had on Vicki was that she felt justified in taking more of whatever pills she got her hands on – pills some of which little Gilbert readily provided in the hopes Vicki would give him a bit of her time. Altogether, it was all heading towards a disaster and Matt seemed to be the only one responsible in the Donovan's household.

It also seemed that the new student, Stefan, took some special interest in Vicki and not the same kind he held for Elena. He didn't send any love looks her way. It made me wonder if the tragic event that I thought happened to him involved drugs or other substances.

Stefan also seemed to become a source of shocking news. Other than his interest in Vicki's well-being, it turned out he has a brother and what more the brother, Damon, now seems to be dating Dana, my loyal informant which was the most astonishing part.

Dana didn't inform me of that. Initially, I thought she may have grown some backbone after how I treated her. Or perhaps, Damon heard me talking to her on the phone and convinced her I was not worth her time. I suppose they were in the honey-moon phase of the relationship. I didn't pay it much attention. There were other events, namely the animal attacks, that kept me busy.

Then, the football game happened. Or better said, it didn't because the animal apparently decided to leave the bounds of the forest and attacked someone directly at school. It was Tanner. Now I didn't exactly grieve for him. My first thought actually was, "Hmm, maybe we'll get a decent teacher now". I guess I am really damaged goods.

I was there actually – at the football game. The whole town was. Everyone was so focused on the upcoming game, that I could blend in the background with a relative ease. No one would bother me until after the game. No matter what bitch face I fool everyone everyday with, I miss it. Deeply. I miss everything I used to have, who I used to be. On occasion, I allow myself to get lost in memories and wallow in self-pity for a moment. In the crowd I pretend I am who I once was. Pathetic, I know.

Anyway, with the body, there were many irregularities this time again. Medical Examiner preliminary ruled it as an animal attack, but I wasn't so convinced. The interesting bit was that there appeared to be a neck wound again. I looked up animal attacks and while predators often go for the unprotected tissue which neck presents, there should be other marks on the victim – claw marks on the arms, at least. Anything. The whole school gathered around the Tanner corpse. The game was cancelled, and the crowd dispersed not long after the police got to the scene. Before they did, I managed to get a glimpse of the body, and I remember clearly – his arms were clear. His sweater wasn't torn in any way. His only wound, from what I could see, was the one on the neck.

While my mother had tried to discourage me from pursuing any solo investigating before, I felt the death of my history teacher (no matter how much I liked him) justified any interest I may have had. After all, it happened on my territory – the school. She couldn't hope to keep me out of the loop. I would find out what is happening one way or another. It was time to have a little sit-down with my mom.

"Hello mom, how was the work?" I ask as if nothing special happened. My mom has just got back from the school, so I guess Tanner has been taken the town morgue for the autopsy.

"Caroline, you are still awake?" mum retorts surprised.

"Yes, I thought I would wait for the news. So, what happened to Tanner?" I inquire.

"Don't worry, sweetheart. We will catch it soon enough. Just promise me you'll be careful. No strolls to the woods. Be at home before it gets dark."

"It?" I repeat, "you will catch it. So, it is an animal? What kind?" I ask.

"It hasn't been determined yet," she answers curtly as a sign I should let it go.

"I was there tonight. You know?" I am not hurt by her not seeking if I am alright earlier. It is how we work. More often than not it is to my advantage.

"Oh my God, are you alright? From what we found no one else was hurt. It attacked Tanner when he was alone." Now she is worried.

"I am OK," I confirm. "When everyone gathered around Tanner, I was there as well. He had no defensive wounds on his hands, his sweater was not torn. Yet the ME (Medical Examiner) claims it was an animal. Why is that?" I wonder to my mom.

"Honey, it was an animal. What else could it be? I have full confidence in the ME office. If he says it was an animal attack, then it was an animal attack. I am sure all inconsistencies will be explained after the full autopsy is done," she tries to reassure me.

"What - the same way as with Darren Malley and Brooke Fenton. In the report they wrote there were no traces of animal activity and yet it was determined they were attacked by a vicious animal and dragged away. Leaving behind no trace? It doesn't make any sense!" the moment I finish I know I said too much.

"And how do you know what was written in the report?" she asks angrily now, but I can see more fear than anger in her eyes. "It thought I told you not to meddle in the investigation. Caroline, no matter what you're gonna be in the future, right now you are a high school student. You are my daughter and you have no business meddling in this," she tells me sternly.

"But mom, I am right. If you could just…" I try.

"That is enough, Caroline! I am your mother and I have to protect you. It's dangerous to keep digging in this," she doesn't relent. She sighs deeply. I can see I won't like what she says next. "You will let this go. You will let my deputies deal with it. All your snooping around, it stops now. If I find out, you were looking into it again, if I find you at the crime scene or pumping my deputies for information, I will revoke my permission about the Whitmore courses."

This makes me stop. I am looking at my mom and I feel betrayed. She takes a step back. I can see she regrets pulling that up, but also that she won't retract the threat.

"You mean it, don't you?" I ask.

She doesn't answer.

I can't believe she pulled that up. After everything fell apart, I was lost. I was hurt and no one could see it. The only one who would care would be my mom and as usually she was too busy to notice. I am sure if I had told her she would have done her best to give all of them hell, but I was too ashamed to tell her about it and afterwards I felt there was no point. It wouldn't change anything. I took care of it on my own and figured out a way how to function again. She would only blame herself and my mom is the only one I don't want to feel guilty about it.

It all happened at the end of the freshman year and while I spent a great portion of the following summer away from Mystic Falls, mostly at my father's, my mom didn't want me away for so long.

When I was at home one time, SHE looked me up. She was at home for holiday and she saw straight away something was off.

She is about to knock on the door when she sees me, "Caroline, what…" She stops and just looks at me.

She found me sitting on the porch next to the front door. I suppose I look very different from how she remembers me from her last visit. I stopped taking care of myself to some degree. Before, I would always wear feminine light colours, I would never leave my room without perfect make-up and done hair and I would always wear a smile. None of it applies anymore. I just sit there and stare into nothing. What is the point anymore? It hurts and I don't know how to stop it.

"Jenna…" I am surprised be her appearance I wonder what Elena's aunt is doing here. "I suppose you are here to see the newest town's freak."

Jenna Sommers is Elena's mother's sister. She was the fun aunt. You were never bored with her around. She left town after graduation. I think she studies Psychology or something at the Whitmore College.

"Oh, Caroline…" I am not sure I can handle someone else throwing accusations at my face. I feel my eyes watering. It feels that is all I am doing these days: either I stare into nothing or I am crying. Why can't I stop crying?

Jenna sees tears in my eyes and moves to hug me. I get up and it takes me little time before I put my arms around her. I am weak. Sue me, but I really need this.

She pulls back after a while, but doesn't let go, "Let's go inside." She leads me into our living room. We sit down on the sofa. "Caroline, what happened?" she asks.

I say nothing. I guess no one told her.

She proves me wrong, "Elena tells me you are no longer a friend of hers. Bonnie is the same. Miranda and Grayson wouldn't tell me anything." I show no reaction to it. "Did something happen? Has someone hurt you?" At that I start crying again and I start shaking.

"I… I don't…." I sob. I take a deep breath, "I don't know." I look into her eyes and see pity. I look away.

"Come on, Care. You can tell me. I won't tell Elena. I won't tell anyone," she encourages me.

I need someone. I need to tell someone. I look at her intently, "You promise?"

She looks at me seriously, "I promise."

And so I start, "I don't know what happened. There was a party in the woods. I woke up there the next morning. I was hurting and I was alone…" I start. I am not looking anywhere near her. Once I start talking, I don't seem able to stop. Words are just coming out of me. I need to get it out of me. "…I was hurt, so I just said it. I didn't mean it all. They didn't believe me. I needed them and they left. They laughed at me. And I don't remember. Why can't I remember what happened, Jenna?" I start sobbing uncontrollably.

Jenna is crying now, too. She hugs me again and just holds me. It takes a long time for me to stop shaking and to be able to talk again. I get up, turn around and say, "So, that is what has happened. And now, no one will look at me. I left or thy kicked me from all the positions, the cheerleading squad, everything. I am an outcast now. But you know what, I don't want them anymore," I am not sure if that is the truth. "I don't know what to do, but I want nothing to have to do with them. They don't want me. Fine, then I don't want them. I don't need them." I finish my rant. "Pretty messed up, right?"

"I am so sorry, Care. Have you told anyone?" she wants to know.

It takes me a while to answer that. "I have told you," I say.

"What about you mom? She is the sheriff. She could…"

I interrupt, "NO!" I scream. "You promised not to tell."

"But, Care, it's just…" she tries to convince me.

"No, no. NO!" I am getting hysterical again. "You can't tell her. I will deny it. You hear me! It just didn't happen. Elena is right. They all are. I made it up. I am a liar. Nothing happened!" I wait for what she'll do next.

"Alright, Caroline. I won't tell her if you don't want me," she says sincerely. She pauses as if she is thinking about something. "You know what, I'll be at Miranda's for the next two weeks. I would like to hang out with you sometimes. What do you say?"

"They are not my biggest fans at the moment," I say.

"You don't worry about them. I can be friends with anyone I want, and I am your friend. Alright? You are not alone," she pauses. "No one needs to know if you don't want them."

I don't. "Alright," I agree.

In those two weeks I didn't get magically alright, but I got a tiny bit better. She gave me some pointers. She tried to get me open up to her a bit. She tried to convince me to tell someone else which I resolutely refused every time. She didn't break my confidence, something I am grateful for. While she didn't pull me up from the black hole where I was. She convinced there was a way out of it for me. I just had to find it. She showed me the first step.

Among other things, she encouraged me to find something new that would interest me, something I would love doing. She said, "Get yourself a new hobby! You are different from how you were. Find something different you will like." She wanted me to reach out to someone other than her, too. I couldn't do that, though. Not in Mystic Falls where everyone knew everything about everyone, everything about me. They all knew and that was unbearable to me. And so, she mentioned at Whitmore there are some courses that even high school students can enrol in.

When she left and I finally put myself together I looked it up and truly, there were some courses I could enrol in. I suggested it to my mother, and she refused it all. I didn't have my own car and I was too young to drive to Whitmore by myself etc. It took a lot, but after a lot of arguing and bargaining, we reached an agreement. We made a deal. I would retain the perfect grades and GPA. There would be no underaged drinking… simply put, I would be the perfect daughter and she would permit me to attend the classes at the Whitmore for the junior year. Before the summer she finally gave me the permission. I arranged everything at the Whitmore and at the Mystic Falls High School, so that I could partially study from distance. Come October, I was set to start the course at the Whitmore.

And now she threatened to revoke her permission. After everything I did for it, she threatened to break her word to me and ruin it for me. It was a low blow. But if that is how she wants to play it… I suppose there is nothing I can do it about it.

"Alright, mom," I say coldly. "I will let it go. You will not find me snooping around. I will let all the snooping to your deputies from now on. I hope we are done here." I didn't wait for answer and leave to my room. I slam the door shut behind me.

After that I avoided her for a while. It was maybe even too easy. To be honest, mom was acting strange. She was always working crazy hours, but how much she worked then – it couldn't start to be compared. And it wasn't because of our fight, it wasn't the first time things were rough between us. Moreover, my mom was worried, scared even, and she wasn't alone. You could see how some people from the founding families would talk among themselves, mindful that no one is eavesdropping on them.

That was all I did, though. I just noticed things – no snooping, no digging. The Whitmore courses were too important to me to jeopardize it. I didn't have to like it, though.

And then, several weeks after Tanner was attacked, it seemed the situation was resolved. Finally, some good news came through – the animal was shot. Apparently, it attacked a hunter in the woods, but he managed to put it down. It seemed a mountain lion was the culprit responsible for it all.

It also happened at a fortunate time – the Founder's Ball was only a hair's breadth away. The Forbes family is among the founders. While I don't have to attend most of the parties and events, which the town has to offer, those directly celebrating the founding families are the glorious exception. My mom and I are the only one who bear the Forbes name in the town and as such we must be present – something along those lines was part of the lecture I was given independently by both my parents. The fact it was taking place at the Lockwood's manor was just the icing on the cake.

Nevertheless, I had to come and so I did. I entered alone after some couple and Mrs. Lockwood who greeted everyone at the door pointedly ignored me. Fine by me. I didn't lose time and found my mom, who didn't bother to get out of the uniform.

"Hi, mom," I greet her.

"Caroline," she returns my greetings, "I almost thought you wouldn't come."

"Oh, please as if the follow-up lecture was worth it," I sass.

"Caroline, it is our duty to the…" she starts.

I am so not in the mood for that, "Really? You couldn't even change out of the badge for this."

She sighs, "I am working, honey."

We look around at the people mingling. I guess we both feel out of our element. Oh, how things have changed.

"Where's your dad?" she wants to restart our conversation.

"Memphis," I certainly am not in the mood.

"Good," mom replies.

"With Steven," I add the hurtful detail.

My father is William "Bill" Forbes III. He was born here in Mystic Falls. He married my mom when they were both quite young. We were always very closed. He was my best friend in the world. I loved doing things with him. He always had my back. He taught me many things. And then one day he just left us. I was ten. I woke up one day to find out that my dad wasn't at home and that he was never coming back. Apparently, he had had a boyfriend for a couple of months, and they decided to live together now. He just left me.

It was at that time when I figured out how cruel people can be. But I was only ten years old back then, so while they were pointing at me and my mom and whispering about the scandal and disgrace, my classmates didn't really understand what was going on. I overcame it and after a couple of months of the silent treatment, we managed to patch things up somewhat. I never grew as close to him as I once was, but we would talk. He was my dad again.

After that retort, I broke away from my mom. I wonder how long I have to stay so that leaving wouldn't be considered rude. While I hate the Lockwood's manor with passion, I have spent here enough time to know its layout. I know how parties work here. I know where people mingle and what rooms usually remain abandoned. In short, I know how to stay out of sight, hopefully, for the rest of the party.

Just as I prided myself upon the way I dealt with my party-phobia dilemma, I nearly slipped into a room with the founder's display when the voices alerted me the room wasn't so abandoned.

I heard Elena's voice first, "Wow, look, it's the original guest registry. Look at all these familiar names — Sheriff William Forbes, Mayor Benjamin Lockwood. Is that Damon Salvatore? And, Stefan Salvatore?" Of course, Elena came to the party with Stefan.

Actually, both Salvatore brothers made an appearance.

The elder brother didn't waste wait to explain the curiosity, "The original Salvatore brothers. Our ancestors. Tragic story, actually." From how he dragged the words, it seemed Damon really is the poster bad boy.

Without missing a beat Stefan retorts, "We don't need to bore them with stories of the past." Oh, Stefan, that was mistake. He came out way to defensive. Apparently, Damon was hitting on something from the past. I stay by what I've thought – Damon loves to stir up drama.

"It's not boring, Stefan. I'd love to hear more about your family," Elena opposed. I wasn't sure how much Elena could see through Damon. However much it may have been, I knew for sure that pumping Stefan for information about his past while his brother was smirking nearby was not a good way how to go about it.

I was thinking about leaving them be before they noticed me when Damon looked my way. Busted! Nonetheless, I didn't stick around and walked away as Dana, whom Damon escorted, asked Stefan for the dance.

I was thinking that was a bit strange, I really should talk to Dana soon.

I was wondering around outside the mansion when I caught another conversation. I really wasn't up to my game that night.

"Tyler...We didn't get a chance to say hello earlier. It's Vicki, right? Matt's sister," said Mrs Lockwood with a forced smile. Lockwood's family dynamic aside, she sounded really snobbish then. She knew exactly who Vicki was.

"Yes, ma'am," Vicki said back rather meekly.

"You'll have to forgive my son's rudeness. He gets it from his father." Was that supposed be a hidden warning to stay away from him? I could understand that from her perspective, Vicki Donovan was not a proper match for her son, the mayor's son.

"Well, that's okay, Mrs. Lockwood. Tyler and I were just saying goodnight." Of course, they did. I had said before – Tyler & Vicki & Jeremy were a disaster waiting to happen. I was fairly certain, all three of them would end up hurt.

"That's what you get when you bring the trash into the party," Mrs Lockwood finished the lovely conversation. It was a low blow and had it been anyone other than Tyler, I would have said she could have saved that comment.

Since both Mrs Lockwood and Tyler headed back inside, I decided sticking in the garden was a save bet for the moment. Even when Tyler didn't use to throw an insult at me every time, he saw me, I could always see that growing up at the Lockwood manor was no easy feat. Tyler was always a jackass, but when you got to know his parents, you stopped wondering why that was. It didn't justify anything he did, but you knew there was a reason for it.

As I was walking in front of the windows to the ground floor, I could hear raised voices. I think I was standing in front of the powder room. If nothing else, this years' Founder's party didn't lack drama, that's for sure.

"Oh god, Dana, what happened?" Of course, Elena was in the middle of it.

"Nothing, okay?!" Dana retorts, but the tone of her voice gave me a pause. She sounded distressed.

"That is not nothing! Did somebody hurt you?" While it wasn't that uncommon for Elena to blow something out of proportions, normally she just ignored Dana as did everyone else. That was different, though, she sounded really worried for Dana.

"No, okay, nothing. It just...My mom would kill me," Dana tried to sweep it under the carpet.

There was a pause, but I knew Elena would never let it go. "Did Damon hurt you?"

"No! Of course not! Just leave me alone. Okay, Elena?!" Dana said strongly and, apparently, left the room.

Meanwhile I stood outside replaying all I could remember from the party more than a year ago. I start shivering and felt a panic attack coming at me. 'I thought Dana was acting a bit weird. I put my nose where it doesn't belong all the time. Why didn't I find out what was going on with her? What did Damon do?' I thought.

I employed all the techniques I knew as I tried ward off the panic. 'Alright, first things first, I need to find Dana and see what happened. Who knows what Elena saw?' I knew better than to rely on someone else's allegations.

I headed back inside and started looking for Dana. I couldn't find her anywhere, however. I was thinking she may have gone home already. I was at the driveway ready to call Dana when I saw her.

She was half lying half sitting within the view of the manor. I ran to her.

"Dana? Dana! Are you alright?" I tried to catch her attention, but she didn't seem to be overly responsive. I touched her arm when her eyes zeroed on me.

"Caroline, what are you doing here? What's going on?" she asked confusedly.

I jumped to take off my bolero jacket and pressed it to her neck. When she looked at me, her hair cleared away and revealed a wound on her neck. It was still bleeding.

"Oh my God, Dana! What happened?" I asked horrified. Did Damon bite her?

"What? Noth…" she touched her neck. "I am alright," she insisted.

"No, you aren't. You are bleeding. Was it Damon? Did he hurt you?" I enquired.

"No! Nothing happened," she struggled to get up. "Let me go! Please, just let me go. I am fine," she said but she was shivering. Whether it was from the blood loss or from something else, I was not sure.

'That wouldn't do,' I thought. I couldn't let her go. She wasn't alright. If it was something else, I wouldn't care, but I suppose now I will always have a weakness for things like that. I decided I would be what she needed me to be and at that point she needed someone who would take care of her. I sighed.

"Alright, Dana, look at me," I started. I wanted her to trust me, "Let's make a deal. You will let me help you now. I will patch you up a bit and make sure you will get home safely." That was the easy part for me. "I promise I won't say anyone what I may see or what you may tell me tonight unless you want me to," I knew that would the hard part.

I didn't know whether it was because of Dana's trusting nature or because she was just too exhausted, but she agreed. Normally, I wouldn't mind too much breaking my word if it were for right reasons but something like this was just a bit too close to home for me. I wouldn't break her trust. I still didn't know what exactly happened. I didn't want to jump to the conclusions. But if Damon forced her somehow, he would pay. I would make sure of it.

We were lucky her mom was away from town, so no one was at home when we entered her apartment. The bleeding stopped before we got to the car, so I guessed no stitches would be needed. I told her to have a shower to clean all the blood. Meanwhile I looked for the first-aid kit. I patched her up and inconspicuously looked under the top of her pyjamas. I could see other bitemarks on her skin, some older than others. I didn't comment on it. I think what Dana craved at that moment was comfort and just some semblance of normalcy.

After I finished dressing her wound, we had some cocoa. It seemed she didn't want to talk about Damon or what happened, so I steered the conversation to the safe topic – school, who is dating whom etc.

I wanted to start heading home and Dana seemed stable, so I told her goodbye and went to the door.

"Caroline, wait!" she almost screamed when I already had my hand on the door handle. "Would you…" she looked side-way, "Could you stay the night? I don't want to be alone," she almost whispered the last part.

I took a while to think about it. It probably wasn't a good idea. I didn't count her as a friend, and I didn't want to change that.

"Ok, no problem," I agreed against my better judgement. "I will stay the night, but tomorrow we'll talk," I compromised.

She nodded, then she made up a couch for me and went to bed leaving the door to her room open. I shot my mom a text that I was staying the night at a friend's place and went to sleep as well.

The next day I convinced Dana to skip school with me. I needed to decide what to do with this whole situation. We needed to talk.

The problem was Dana didn't remember much, at least that was what she claimed. I believed her; I didn't spot any signs of deception on her part. She confirmed Damon was her boyfriend and from the beginning their relationship was physical. What worried me was that she confessed she had some blanks in her memory. I wasn't sure what to think about it.

She claimed anything they had with Damon was over. That was definitely a healthy approach. She didn't seem too upset about what happened. Maybe, Damon didn't do anything too bad. Perhaps, Dana had been a willing participant and things got out of hand a bit. If that were truth, there would have been only one thing I didn't understand – why did he leave Dana bleeding at the Lockwood's?

I left Dana's place before lunch but decided to keep an eye on her. I made her promise to never be with Damon alone and to call me if there were troubles. I had some work to do. I took back to bloody bolero from Dana. I knew I needed to know for sure. I took a sample of the blood and drove to another town to get it tested for drugs.

Over the course of the next few days I was trying to dig up something on Damon. Surprisingly, there was very little I could find. All I knew was that he liked spending time at the Grill, and he was quite ladies' man. Not really much to go on. I stopped by the Grill often in the hopes of spotting him sitting at the counter with no success. Actually, it seemed no one had seen him since the Founder's Party. Had he left town because of what happened with Dana? From the little I knew about him, it seemed unlikely. And yet, that was what, Stefan claimed to Elena, happened when I overheard them (by accident, of course) in the hallway at school.

The drug tests came back negative, so that wasn't the reason behind Dana's confusion and blanks.

Maybe even due to Damon's absence, Dana did great. I kept an eye on her but saw no sign of her being traumatized or anything. It seemed all she wanted was to forget about it. However, sometimes it seemed as if she blacked-out for a second, got lost in the memories. I didn't know if that was normal for Dana because I never spent that much time with her, nonetheless I couldn't recall a single time she had done it before the Damon's drama.

I asked her about it again the other day. I thought maybe she remembered more after some time passed.

"I remember the party. Damon came up behind me, and he was kissing my neck, or biting my neck. I passed out. It's like there's holes in my memory lately," she didn't sound too worried which worried me. "It's just weird. Maybe I let him bite me."

"Why would you do that?" I questioned.

However, she didn't want to discuss it anymore, "Can we just not talk about it, ok? Don't want to talk about Damon. I don't want to talk about any of it. Just want to go back to normal."

I granted her the wish, "Um, alright. I hear you. What's this?" I pointed to a crystal lying on her bed. It looked like some antique iron necklace attached with an amber crystal for a pendant. Not really Dana's style.

She frowned at it. "Damon gave it to me. Or he was going to give it to me. All I know is, it's mine now."

"It's ugly." I commented. And it was.

"Well, get your grubby hands off it," she said with sarcasm.

Dana is very excited today. Evidently, another Mystic Falls event is on the horizon – Sexy Suds Car Wash Fundraiser. Tiki, an obnoxious girl from the town, organises it and Dana being Dana had to volunteered. She won't stop talking about it. Frankly, I started to regret my decision about keeping an eye on her. She seems fine, after all.

However, perhaps she is not. Today she seems to space out even more than in the previous days. Against my better judgement, I decide to swing by the Car Wash after school to check up on her. I look around trying to find Dana with no luck.

I really should let it go.

I approach Tiki.

"Hey Tiki, have you seen Dana? She was supposed to help out here," I ask very politely.

"Oh, look who stopped by. You looking for Dana? I guess it fits looser looking for looser," she smirks at me.

I lose the polite tone, "Look, either you tell me what I want to know or perhaps I will talk with you grandpa over there about some escapades you did with Tony Milton a couple of years ago," I threatened looking at the direction of her grandpa standing not far from us. Now I am smirking, "I am sure he would be delighted to hear about that, don't you think?" I look her up and down, "So, what is gonna be, Tiki?"

"Gee, you're really a bitch, you know," she retorts but looks down on the roster put together for the event. "She is at the washing station 3," she points me in the right direction.

I can't forgive myself last comment, "You see, darling. It didn't even hurt, did it?"

The problem appears when I get to her assigned station. What I am told is that she was here at the beginning but then disappeared unknown where.

Where the hell is she?

As if to answer the question, my phone starts ringing. It's Dana.

"Dana?" I pick it up.

"Caroline?" she asks back unsure.

"Yes, it's me. Where the hell are you? I looked for you at the Car Wash," I question.

"I am not sure, somewhere on the road to the town," she answers.

"What would you do…" I start the question when I come to realize the answer, "The Salvatore Boarding House. You went to see him, didn't you?"

"I think I did. I don't know," she says confused. Again. "Could you pick me up?"

"Are you alright?" I try to ascertain. If I find another bitemark on her, I won't be able to restrain myself.

"I think so?" the fact she poses it as a question is not very reassuring.

"I'll be there in a few minutes," I end up the call and quickly head towards my car.

When I pick her up, she seems to be fine. She isn't injured, so I suppose Damon will live to see another day.

I dropped her at her place and went back home. I had some work to do. I thought it may be for the best if Dana left the town for a while. I made her agree to meet me at the Grill tomorrow morning, so I just needed to come up with a plan. What she needed was a place to stay at when away from the town. I knew that her father's family renounced him and his family after he was arrested, so that left her mother's family. I searched for a while and found out her mom had a sister who lived in Fayetteville. That is not too far from here. I think you can get there even by bus.

The next morning, I went jogging into the town. I knew I was yet again meddling with Dana where I had no business and could only hope I wouldn't get burnt. Honestly, I just wanted to wrap it up all. Hopefully, after today I could put it behind me at least for a while.

I checked the news while I was eating breakfast when I saw Logan Fell reporting the tragic death of four young people at the cemetery. Oh, my dear, what did I miss? I searched for details, but not much was known other than that they died in a fire. I knew that part of the cemetery was a favourite spot for some people to get high. I just hoped Vicki wasn't among the victims. Matt would be devastated.

It wasn't such a stretch of imagination that four stoned people were unable to get away from the fire, but overall, there had been too many deaths lately for a small town that Mystic Falls is. I didn't have time to ponder about it more; I had to meet Dana at the Grill.

I arrived first and found an empty table outside. I ordered some coffee and looked around. It seemed only regulars were around, some who couldn't start the day without morning coffee – something I could fully relate to. One table stood out, though. In the outside seating, there was Stefan with Elena. I wouldn't give much importance to it, but they seemed oddly tense. I suppose there were troubles in the paradise. Still I felt something was off. Elena seemed worried, perhaps even a tad terrified.

Before I could analyse it more, Dana sat across from me. I gave Stefan and Elena last confused look before focusing on Dana.

"I am here," she said grumpily, "What did you want to discuss?"

"Your aunt, Melissa," I said bluntly.

"What about her?" she asked surprised at me mentioning her.

"She lives in Fayetteville; a few hours from here. Correct?" I asked to make sure my plan is solid.

"I guess. Why do you ask about her?" she asked again.

"I think it would be a good idea for you to visit her for a while," I say.

"Why?" she wanted to know but I was sure she knew what this was about.

"Damon…" I wanted to explain my reasoning, but she started to get up. I grabbed her arm and made her sit down again. "I don't know what happened yesterday, you weren't hurt, but he scared you, I could tell," I breathed in deeply. "I know you don't want me to dig into it. I will make you a deal. You will get away from Damon and Mystic Falls for a few weeks and I will stop pushing you for information. Unless I see Damon hurting you, I will let it go. I will forget what I saw," I finished.

It took my some more convincing, but eventually Dana agreed. She would leave Mystic Falls and visit her aunt for at least two weeks.

While I felt it was important to wrap this Damon/Dana situation up, I had more reasons for convincing Dana to get away from the town. I complied with my mother's demands for me to stay away from the animal attacks. It was the beginning of the academic year at Whitmore and it was time for me to start the courses I enrolled myself in. I would be away and wouldn't be able to keep an eye on Dana.

I talked with my mom letting her know I would be gone for at least a week. We agreed I would call her often to let her know I was doing ok. Honestly, I had the feeling she was glad I would be away from the town which confused me. Even before the four burnt bodies were found, my mom was overworked. It was rare to see her at home in the evening. Was it related? I wasn't sure, but I was nervous about leaving.

However, I worked through it. This was something I had been looking forward to for so long. I didn't want anything to ruin it for me.

And it was really amazing. I went to the lectures and practises. All the courses I took were introductory, of course. I met new people and just chat with them. They were curious about me, because of my age. I enjoyed it all. I was alone in my dorm but was told that could change at any moment. I also took some PE classes there, namely Martial Arts. The university insisted on the course for the beginners. I really was looking forward to it.

Our instructor there was called Caleb. He was, in fact, an older student, but advanced enough to be entrusted with the beginner's course.

"Alright, guys, welcome to the MA 101. My name is Caleb and for this semester I'll be your instructor," he introduced himself. He was very tall, muscular with an athletic build – definitely attractive.

We started with warm-up and some stretching. After that, he showed us basic hits and kicks of what he would teach us. All of it vas pretty basic, so I started executing the moves he had demonstrated. He was walking among us, correcting those who did it wrong. Honestly, the whole class looked like a bunch of clowns rather than a martial arts practice.

He stopped when he got to me and waited after I finished the latest series of hits. "You know some martial arts already," he stated. I shrugged my shoulders. "Why are you in the class?"

"I am still at the high school, this is just something extra for me," I answered honestly. "The school wouldn't enrol me anywhere but the beginner's class."

"You are losing your time here," he blurted out. Before I could get angry with him for questioning my place there, he realised what he had said, "I am sorry, that came out wrong. I am Caleb," he moved to shake my arm.

I shook his hand, "Caroline." I accepted his apology.

"Well, Caroline, since this is Martial Arts, what would you do if…" he didn't finish and instead moved behind me and hold me in the chokehold.

While he held me there, his arms around my body, I felt panic gripping at me. Before panic could take a hold, I stamped on his foot and wriggled out of his hold. I backed from him to put some distance between us and put my arms up, so that I could defend myself from any further attacks. But he just smiles and steps back, raising hands in universal peace gesture.

"Whoa, you've got some good reflexes there. Go on." With that he moves to another student. I continue with the practice.

After the lesson is finished, he approaches me. To be honest, I am not sure what to think about him. "Caroline, wait!"

"Yes?" I turned to face him.

"I apologize if I surprised you earlier," it appears sincere, "I just wanted to see at what level you are."

"Why?" I ask.

"Well, I could speak with my instructor, he has more advanced courses and can put you into a more advanced one. He would deal with the school office as well," I am surprised by his thoughtfulness.

"That'd be great, actually," I am getting excited. So far it seemed the PE class wasn't such a good idea.

"Alright, I set it up with him and give you more details," he promises.

"Okay, thanks," I shake his hand.

"Again, sorry about earlier. I am not such a jerk normally," he adds.

"It's alright, don't worry about it," I say. We are silent for a moment. "Okay. See you around!" With that I wave at him and leave him alone in the gym.

"See you!" he says back.

Caleb kept his word and next week I got reassigned to the same course Caleb was taking. I suppose for the introductory course you didn't need a true master as a teacher, but any advanced student would do.

We talk for a bit and it was okay. I wouldn't say we were friends, but it was good to make a new acquittance, someone who hadn't known me before.

During my time at Whitmore I even went to some party and had fun for a bit. It took me a while to pinpoint the reason why I felt so good. I was free. I could do anything I wanted without fending off any verbal attacks. No one knew me. I was just another face in the crowd and that feeling was exhilarating.

By the agreement, I would spend a couple of days on the campus once in a while and hand in all the assignments, do some consults and take up new work and assignments. I would complete them in Mystic Falls and some weeks later come back to hand them in. As the semester proceeds, I will probably get really busy, but I didn't mind that too much.

My first visit of the campus was a bit different. It was much longer than other visits will be. I wanted to adapt to the university life for a bit before switching between university and high school. Alas it was time to return home, to come from heaven back to the hellhole.

Apart from my mom it didn't look like anyone missed me. Dana returned from her aunt's but didn't seek me out, a fact I appreciated. She seemed to be doing fine. Damon integrated back to his favourite spot at the Mystic Grill. It seemed Dana didn't hold any interest to him which considering everything that happened I thought to be a plus.

Everything seems to have returned to normal with one glaring exception. Vicki Donovan is still missing. No one has seen her since the fire at the cemetery. From what I managed to pry from my mom. None of the found bodies were Vicki. Matt must be devastated. On the other hand, I would say most of the town, me included, is quite sure about what happened to her. She skipped the town after the fire and is most likely staying at someone's places getting high and wasted. However, Matt reported her as a missing person and my mom will be looking for her until she is found. When I returned to the school, I learnt that young Gilbert is also worried about her. Nothing surprising, I'd say the boy is reeking of the abandonment issues. Tyler, her so-called boyfriend, didn't seem so worried.

I returned right before the famous Halloween Carnival. After the school year starts, it's the first excuse for a party on the school ground unless you count sport matches. I remember how I would plan the whole event, design the best haunted house of the whole county and just enjoy it. To be honest, I would rather still be at Whitmore. This just brings back memories of the times I would prefer not to remember. However, my mom was adamant, and I can understand her. I spent one week more at the college than was planned already.

She said she wanted me home for Halloween. I didn't comment on it, but it was a bit ironic as she was to be on duty the whole night for sure, so it was not like we would spend Halloween together at all. Two years ago, I would be looking forward to the party weeks in advance. I would pick up the best costume and make sure my friends chose their picks wisely. Now however, I can't wait for it to be over. It's the only thing everyone talks about and it's getting on my nerves.

One thing is for sure – no one will see me at the school. I'll probably swing be the Grill for some dinner and then head home. I could work on some assignments. Anything to take my mind of the whole thing. Yes, that sounds like a good idea.

At the day of the carnival I got to the Grill much later than I imagined. I had no wish to stay at the Grill with all those drunkards because while Halloween was a good excuse for teenagers to give into a bit of vandalism, some so-called responsible adults consider it to be a good occasion to dress up into completely ridiculous costume and proceed to get completely wasted usually in a very public places.

No, it was much better to quickly get my order and get home.

As I was waiting for the waiter to finish my order, I couldn't help but glance around the Grill. Nothing catches my interest until I hear the Lockwoods arguing about going to the carnival. Oh yes, Mr. and Mrs. Mayor, what a joy. It seems Mr. Lockwood is unwilling to cause a scene and leaves his wife alone at the Grill while angrily stomping away.

I role my eyes as I turn back towards the bar. But then a figure standing up from the bar catches my attention. It seems Damon Salvatore decided to comfort the poor Carol Lockwood after the quarrel with her husband.

Interesting. It looks like they are flirting weirdly. Mrs. Lockwood looks like she has had a couple of martinis already, so it isn't such a stretch of imagination on her part. Damon, however, is acting a bit strangely. True, I don't know much about him, but the little I know points towards him being a poster bad boy and a bit of jackass. It is true that he has been seen leaving with many different ladies since he arrived in the town, however his conquests are usually much younger and less mature than how Mrs. Lockwood present herself. From how much time he spends at the bar, Damon is certainly someone who can hold his liquor, so he can't be that drunk either. I didn't measure him as someone who would flirt with Mrs. Lockwood, at least not unless he wants something from her.

Well, whatever. It's not something that I would care to know at the moment. I collect my dinner and head home.

So, this was the second chapter. Another piece of Caroline's past has been revealed, but don't worry more is to come. Hopefully, you won't have to wait for as long as you waited now for another chapter.

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