Summary: Caroline is sent back in time. In order to stop prevent the tragedy's of the future she came from.
Disclaimer: I don't own The Vampire Diaries or any of it's characters.
Chapter 1
Caroline cursed as she made her way through the wreckage of what used to be mystic falls. It'd taken her a long time to come to terms with everything that happened their during her teen year. The things they'd seen, and the things they'd done. Always believe themselves in the right and everyone else in the wrong. So, innocent and naive they'd been. To young to really know what was going one. To understand all that was at stake. Until it was to late.
An now after 350 years she'd had no choice, but to return to the place where it all began. For better or worse. Magic was dying and everything else on Earth with it. Most of her friends and family had died long ago. The only good thing she realized that came from it was the fact that they died before it got to bad. Before it became noticeable. They died not knowing what their actions had caused so long ago, but she knew. An she had to live with that guilt and regret every day of her life for eternity no matte how long or sure that maybe. It was her punishment, her curse, for all that they'd done. She'd be the last on to go no matter how bad it got no matter what she did and she long accepted that fact.
The witches had been right all along. Mother Nature demanded balance, it just wasn't up to them to determine what that balance was.
Caroline sighed as she came to a stop out side the Salvatore house. The only place in the whole town that seemed to have been unaffected from everything else that had been happening in the world. An the source of the most recent trouble she'd found herself in. Caroline only hesitated for a moment, before steeling herself into going in. As soon as she pushed the door open her froze. The smell that hit her was exactly how she remembered it. Which should be impossible.
A man figure founded himself standing at the stop of the stairs. Starring down at the love of his life. He couldn't keep the smile of his face, "Hello, Caroline."
Caroline head snapping towards the source of the voice. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. It's been centuries since she'd last saw him, but she'd recognize his voice anywhere.
"Stefan" Caroline breathed, stepping further in the room.
"I-I don't understand" Caroline admitted, shacking her head. This was impossible. She had to be seeing things. The other-side had been destroyed. He couldn't be here. He was gone forever.
"Bonnie" Stefan confessed, slowly making his way down the stairs.
"No, that's...It's impossible. Your dead. She's dead" Caroline snapped, turning away from him. Making her way towards the sitting room. Either something here was causing her to see things. Probably the thing that'd lead her there in the first place, or she'd finally snapped.
"You better than anyone should know that nothing is truly impossible with magic" Stefan stated, calmly following after her.
"Yeah, but here's the thing. Magic's dead" Caroline deadpan, shooting him a look. One that said exactly how stupid she thought he was being, before turning back to rummaging through the drawers.
"Dying not dead," Stefan corrected, starring after her in confusion. "What are you look for?"
"Whatever's causing me to see you" Caroline replied, shrugging, as she stood back up and looked over the room. What ever it is it wasn't something obvious.
"So, I guess your not happy to see me" Stefan admitted, grimacing. "Then again after what I did. I guess I wouldn't be happy to see me either."
"God no" Caroline said, flashing herself in front of him. Taking his hands in hers, as she smiled sadly at him, "I'm beyond happy to see you again, but your not real."
"What makes you so sure I'm not" Stefan questioned, reaching up to tuck a lock of hair behind her ear.
"Because...you've been dead for years" Caroline told him, "and you where human."
"Hmm, yeah. I was still a doppelganger though. So, technically I'm still consider supernatural" Stefan stated, with a shrug.
"The other sides gone" Caroline stated, it was impossible to forget. Considering how involved she and her friends were in its destruction.
"Yes" Stefan nodded, cupping her face.
"So where'd you go" Caroline questioned, unable to stop herself from nuzzling herself into his palm.
"I can't say" Stefan admitted, shrugging.
"Why? What's stopping you" Caroline demanded, "Who's stopping you?"
"No, one" Stefan said, pulling away, "It kind of hazy. The longer I'm here the more I forget. But I remember...
"Remember?" Caroline promoted, not one to admitted defeat.
"I felt calm, relaxed, happy, and..." Stefan trailed off, his eyes taking on a glassy fog.
"And what, Stefan?" Caroline asked, smiling. Even if this wasn't really it was good to hear. To pretend even if for a moment that it was real.
"I wasn't alone" Stefan finished, his attention snapping back to the present. "But as nice as this is. It's not why I'm here."
"Why are you here" Caroline said, deciding to bit.
"Bonnie sent me. Magic's dying" Stefan began.
"Yeah, that's not something knew" Caroline replied, shrugging, "but thanks for stating the obvious."
"Magic's dying and we can't let that happen" Stefan went on choosing to ignore what she said.
"New flash we tried, but it was too late. It is too late" Caroline stated, knowing that it was true. She'd spent years trying to fix what they'd done, but their was no fixing it. So, she moved on to trying to limit the consequences instead. There wasn't anything that she or anyone else could to do limit what was happening. Not after so long.
"I know...but Elena and Bonnie have a plan" Stefan began.
"Bonnie or Elena" Caroline questioned, pulling away, not that it really matter which. Not after everything they'd done. It's taken her years to except that if it hadn't been for Elena or Bonnie and their 'plans' they wouldn't be in the position they were in now.
"Well, Elena came up with the plan and Bonnie made it possible" Stefan admitted, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Right...So, no offense, but why are you here" Caroline asked, "If it was their plan. Than shouldn't they be the one's here talking to me."
"They...We thought that you'd responded better than me" Stefan confessed, embarrassed and more than slightly ashamed.
"Is that what you thought or Elena" Caroline questioned, turning away from him, her arms crossed over her chest.
"Elena, but I agreed to come" Stefan told her.
"Why" Caroline asked, wanting, no needing to know. As she moved to sit on the couch. She didn't know how much more of this she could take standing. It was all beginning to be to much.
"Honestly, because I missed you" Stefan admitted, not at all ashamed of how he felt about it, about her. "An I wanted to see you one last time either way."
"So, what this plan" Caroline final decided to ask after several minutes of silence. It must have been on hell or a plan to risk to us what little was left that remained of magic. To speed up the amount of time left until the end of the world, quite literally.
Caroline just starred at him as he finished explaining what they'd come up with. If she thought the type of plans they came up with when they were alive was bad. It didn't even compare to how insane they were now that they were dead.
"That's insane" Caroline replied, standing up to go pour herself a drink. "Want any?"
"No, I'm good and it's about as insane as any of our other plans" Stefan pointed out.
"Exactly, and look where that got us" Caroline countered, locking eyes with him, "Got me."
They both lasped into silence after that. There really wasn't much else to say. It was all true. They'd all done the deed, but it was Caroline that was left holding the bag.
Stefan knew this choice had to be her's and her's alone. Because when all was said in done she would be the one most affected, not them. They just had to get here there and the rest would be up to her.
"So, this time travel. How does it work exactly. Do I merger with my past self? Would it be before or after I'm turned, or would there be two of me running around" Caroline questioned, as she thought it over, before deciding it would be best to have all the information. Instead of rejecting the offer out right.
"From my understanding we don't know how far back you'll go exactly. Where Bonnie said she'd be aiming for the summer before sophomore year, but on truth she doesn't know if that will work. So, you could end up a little before or a little after" Stefan began, clasping his hands together, as he tried to recall all that'd been said.
"Their will be two of you either way. This you and your other self. The moment you land in the past a new doppelganger line will emerge" Stefan stated.
"Meaning what" Caroline questioned.
"Meaning the other Caroline will be seen as your shadow self. Just like I'm Silas's and Elena was Amara's. It's permanent so as long as you blood line doesn't end. Than it's possible for more shallow self versions of you to pop up every couple hundred years" Stefan confessed, knowing that she needed to know as much as she could about the consequences for herself, both of them.
"So, my blood will also take on the property's of a doppelganger. Do I need to worry about any travelers after me for it" Caroline asked, curiously.
"I'm not sure. I don't think so" Staten admitted, after he thought it over. "I'm pretty sure for them it have to be a shadow self version of Amara and Silas. They where the one's who's blood helped curse them after all."
"Makes since" Caroline concented, thankful that was at least one thing she wouldn't have to worry about. "What else?"
"Not much else that I recall. Bonnie wants to adjust you genetic makeup a little to prevent other from being able to compel you. I don't know exactly how that'd work, but she was working with Grams and Freya last time I saw" Stefan continued, "The spell used will also make it impossible for you to tell anyone about this timeline. Willing or not."
"Seems like you all have it all figured out already" Caroline stated, as she poured herself yet another drink.
"We do. We just need you to agree and will be ready to go" Stefan replied, seeing no reason to hide that fact.
"Okay" Caroline told him, "I'll do it."
"I can't believe I let you talk me into this" Caroling greeted, as she walked into the room. Drawing the others attention to her.
"Do you have everything you need or want to take with you?" Bonnie was the first to speak, casting a glance at the duffel bag her hand.
"Yeah, as much as I can be. A few trinkets and a couple photos to remember. A little bit of cash and some past lottery numbers. My day light ring and necklace. Vampire blood" Caroline recalled listing off things she decided to take with her.
"Okay, I get why your taking most of those things, but why the blood" Elena questioned, puzzled it just didn't make sense to her.
"What I mean it's not like she's going back human" Elena defended, after she noticed the looks the others where sending her.
"If all things go as planned, and I turn up as my own original doppelganger. The start of a new line of shadow selves, but that's only if this go exactly as planned" Caroline stated, "I'd rather be prepared for if things don't turn out the way we expect them to."
"It will go as planned" Bonnie promised, stepping forward, handing her a glass full of blood and herbs.
"Right, what is this" Caroline questioned, smelling it but not making any further moves to smell it.
"Blood of The Original Hybrid mixed with that of both a human and vampire doppelganger, and we added just a little of Hope's blood to help bond it all together. The herbs are just there to help busted the spell affects" Bonnie explained, "It's also been spelled by both myself and Hope."
"I forget to ask will this spell affect the type of immortal I'm supposed to be" Caroline asked.
"What do you mean" Bonnie questioned, as she walked over to her family's grimoire.
"I mean will I become an immortal like Silas was or will I still be a vampire" Caroline questioned, not sure if it really mattered either way, but wanting a heads up just in case.
"It shouldn't, but I can't say for sure. This is a first" Bonnie admitted.
"I see, but can you at least tell me how the hell did you got Hope to agree to this, let alone Klaus" Caroline questioned, dumb struck, as she finally realized exactly who else had been involved in the potion making the process.
"We need a little bit more strength and magic" Bonnie confessed, hating to admit it.
"That explains the why not the how" Caroline processed, finally taking a drink of the concoction.
If those to where involved at least she knew it she wouldn't land to far off that mark. She trust them way more than she trust her supposed best friends.
"It's you Caroline" Stefan said, speaking up. Nothing else needed to be said. Even now Klaus would do anything for Caroline, and Hope too.
Caroline shot him a look, but chose not to say anything.There wasn't much she could as to that. Caroline couldn't help, but think that actual made sense. While, she and Klaus had never been exactly what she'd call friends. They weren't enemies and she had grown to be pretty close to his daughter over the years. Mostly thanks to her relationship with the girls, Lizzie and Josie. She quickly shock off those thoughts, before stepping into the circle. It was time.
Bonnie began chanting, drawing in what was left of magic. The moon had risen to its peak, and it was almost midnight. She could feel the countless spirits from beyond the void reaching out to her. Channeling their magic through her. They all wanted for this to succeed to be given a second chance. Bonnie eyes flashed gold as the wind picked up.
"Its time" Bonnie screamed over the wind.
"Good luck, Caroline" Stefan whispered, as she vanished into the wind.