Meredith slowly raised Nik's elbow so it was out to his side, parallel to his shoulder, then let it back down. He winced a bit but didn't say anything.

"Ok good, now stretch your arm forward so your hand is directly in front of your shoulder."

He did it slowly, this one didn't feel as uncomfortable as the first one.

"Are you watching?" She asked Caroline, who was sitting on the kitchen counter next to them.

"Got it." Caroline replied.

"Three times a day, do ten of each until his arm feels normal." Meredith reminded her. "Now for the fun part."

Nik groaned "Do we have to?"

"You weren't so whiny yesterday." Meredith snipped.

"Yesterday I didn't know what I was in for. I thought it would be like the day before, with the needle full of drugs preventing any pain."

"It's not good to numb it every day, and it needed to be cleaned on a daily basis. Caroline, can you get his sister in here? I want her to see this also."

Rebecca walked in and watched with Caroline as Meredith explained how to properly clean and care for a wound, going over the steps slowly and making them repeat back what they had to do. Rebecca was taking notes with each step. Caroline kept asking if there was anything they could do to make it hurt less but Meredith insisted that this was the best way.

Nik had looked after his own wounds before, but he was picking up some tricks from Meredith. She also had this strange stuff she dabbed on at the end that was making him heal much faster than he should have. He needed to get the name of whatever that stuff was. She already promised to give him a few bottles.

"So after you disinfect, the last step is..." Meredith quizzed them.

"This stuff." Rebecca held up a bottle. "Let me do it." She pulled out the dropper and measured out the precise amount he would need.

Meredith's phone rang, she left the room to pick it up and let Rebecca and Caroline take over bandaging him up.

Damon wandered in to refill his coffee. "Hello Dr. Barbie one and two. Remind me to get injured more often." He wiggled his brows.

Rebecca sneered at him "I obviously picked the more tactful Salvatore brother."

"But not the more handsome." Damon protested.

"I disagree." Rebecca sniffed.

Damon looked at Nik. "How you feeling, man?"

"Much better. I can't do to much with the arm, but it'll heal soon enough and everything else works just fine."

"Does it? Damon smiled at Caroline.

She glared daggers at him. "Don't you have somewhere to be?"

"Ah yes, coffee for the lady." He smiled and poured another cup to bring to Elena. "And by the way, Alaric will be here tomorrow afternoon, so do whatever packing you need to do, because we're all getting the fuck out of Dodge the second he docks."

"This is our last night on the island?" Nik asked.

"Yeah. We're getting out of here. Ric's taking us to Trinidad, from there we can all go our separate ways or whatever. Elijah mentioned wanting to get back to work. Ric and Mere were on their way to Brazil for something involving some historical artifacts. I know that Stefan and I have to get some work done in Bogota before we make our way back to the States, obviously Elena and Rebecca will join. Katherine might for a while, she's kind of a wild card. Care, I'd love for you to come too, but I have a feeling you and Nik made other plans?"

"You're not bringing my sister to Colombia!"

"Back off, Nik" Rebecca growled.

"Actually, Damon, Nik and I haven't really talked about our plans yet. Things have been kind of crazy."

Damon smirked "Looks like I just opened a can of worms. I'll just be going back to my room now."

He slipped away.

"Colombia, Rebecca? Were you not going to tell me?"

"Nik, relax. It'll be fine."

"Where have I heard that before?" he sighed.

"I'm going to start packing." Rebecca said, taking her opportunity to get out of the room.

Caroline looked at Nik. "Should we talk about what's going to happen? Once we get off that boat, where will that leave us?"

"We don't have to talk about this now. I want to be wherever you are. We can work out the details later. Right now I have to get a few things ready."

"Where are you going?" She asked as he looked around for his shoes and phone.

"Didn't you hear the man? This is our last night on the island, and I believe you promised me you'd go on a date with me."

"Are you sure you're up to it? I mean ... your arm. We can just stay here."

"Don't be ridiculous. I'm fine. The arm is fine, I just have to use the other one when I'm sweeping you off your feet."

"Nik."

He found his shoes and pulled them on before rushing back over to her. He wrapped his hand around the back of her head and pulled her in for a kiss. She kissed him back until she felt her knees go week. When she gently pulled away he smiled mischievously at her.

"What are you up to?" She asked.

"I have some things to prepare."

"What things?"

"Be ready at seven!"

"What should I wear?" She asked as he was running out the door.

"I'll take care of it." He shouted back and he was gone.

Caroline knocked gently on Damon and Elena's door.

"Come in!" called a female voice.

She slowly opened the door to find Elena sitting on the bed with a coffee mug in hand, flipping through the channels on the TV.

"He's in the shower." Elena said, answering Caroline's question before she asked.

"God, does he live in there?"

"It sure seems that way." Elena smiled.

"Since its our last full day here, I was thinking we could pick up where we left off before everything got so crazy and go to the pool?"

"We do have a lot to talk about." Elena said.

"A lot to drink about." Caroline smiled.

Elena's smile faded quickly. "Do you think people will stare? With all these cuts and bruises?"

"Lena, people will only be staring because you're smoking hot. And besides, once you get a tan those bruises will hardly be noticeable."

Elijah slept later than he had in years. He always had a reason to wake up early, but today there was nothing to do but wait. He could hear faint voices of people moving around the suite, talking, pots and pans clanging in the kitchen.

The smell of bacon filled the air. It was so her. She would eat plates of it straight for breakfast while he sipped his tea and watched. She made him pancakes with chunks of bacon mixed in and he wrinkled his nose at them, refusing to eat something so disgusting. Eventually he broke down and tried them, after all her pouting, and begrudgingly admitted that they were good. When she overslept the next day she caught him trying to make them, failing miserably.

His door creaked a bit. Before he opened his eyes he could feel the mattress shift as someone sat at the foot of his bed.

"Kat. Get out."

"Be nice Eli. I made you your favorite breakfast."

"hmmft."

"Bacon pancakes. I brought tea too. One of the shops here has your brand."

He begrudgingly sat up. "Kat. What are you doing?"

"Can't I make my favorite guy breakfast?"

"Your favorite guy is whoever leaves their credit card near you." He mumbled. He looked down at the stack of pancakes she put in front of him. She had spelled out 'I'm Sorry' in strips of bacon.

"Why are you doing this?" He mumbled.

"Because I'm sorry. Not that I got caught. That I lied to you and hurt you. I promise you Eli. I won't ever do it again."

"I'm not going to give you the chance." He said.

She sighed and took a bite of his pancakes.

"Hey!" He protested.

"You're such a brat." She grumbled.

He smiled and grabbed the fork from her so he could take a bite. He had tried to replicate her pancakes a few times in the years since her, but he never came close.

"God, that's good." He said as he swallowed his first bite. "What's your secret?"

"Made with love." She joked.

"Made with cyanide is more likely."

"If I wanted to poison you I would have married you first. Widow money is the best money."

"See, I know you're joking, but it seems like you've done it before."

"There's no proof." Katherine shrugged.

He teased her some more and she let him. It was a nice change of pace, him joking about everything. She hadn't thought she'd ever see him smile again. It was a secret, his smile. He was always composed, reserved, straight faced around most people. Always in a suit. It was only when they were alone that he loosened his tie and rolled his sleeves up. No one else ever saw him so relaxed as when he came home to her.

Now she was sitting on his bed and he was wearing an old college t-shirt. She remembered wearing the same one a few times. From the look in his eyes when he caught her glance at it, he remembered too.

"You should have seen your face" He laughed. "When you saw me on the other side of the door."

"It's not funny!" she protested, but she was smiling.

They sat there on his bed, passing the fork back and forth until they finished all the food. He kept stealing glances at her when she looked away, but he could tell by the way the edges of her lips moved up ever so slightly that she caught him watching her. When they were finished with the food she got up and took the tray with her. She hesitantly moved closer to him and he didn't flinch away. She smoothed his hair and placed a kiss on his forehead.

"I'm glad your brother got better, Eli."

He watched her walk away and fell back in bed. Suddenly he was having a hard time remembering why giving her another chance was such a bad idea.

Caroline looked around for Elena, and spotted her on one of the lounge chairs by the low end. She handed her friend one of the slushy drinks and took a sip from the other one.

"I remember sitting in these exact chairs not too long ago."

"It's been a month." Elena mused. "But everything is so different now."

"I can't believe that's all it's been."

"One month ago, I came back over here from talking on the phone and some hot guy is totally hitting on you, and you're chewing him out and stomping away."

"To be fair, he wasn't just hitting on me, he was casing a job. And I did have a boyfriend at the time."

"He was hitting on you." Elena laughed. "You should have seen the look on his face when you blew him off."

"And now he's introducing me to his brother as his girlfriend."

"Well that was quick."

"Yeah, it's kind of weird."

"What changed your mind? The last time I talked to you, he was off killing people and you were saying you didn't like him at all, that you wrote him off after you found out who he really was."

"I guess I found a few more layers. There was this kid."

"Oh no, he has a kid?"

"No, not his. A guy he works with has this kid. And Nik is really close to him. I don't know, just seeing that, it changed how I saw him."

"I guess I can't be too hard on the guy. He did save my life." Elena sighed.

Caroline just smiled.

"Does he make you happy?" Elena asked hesitantly.

"Yeah. He really does."

"You know I have to ask the dirty questions too."

"Oh god." Caroline giggled.

"Is it the same, like now that he's Nik the contract killer, as opposed to Nik the sweet paramedic."

"Is what the same?"

"You know."

"Oh. Well, we haven't yet."

"What? You mean he's running around calling you his girlfriend and saving lives for you and you haven't even slept together yet?"

"Not since he was Nik the paramedic. Believe me, it's killing me. We came close a few times... I tried to the other night, but he got all weird about it, wanting to do things right or whatever."

"I was chained up in a basement the other night! Some friend you are."

"I was really worried about you! I just... I get so distracted around him."

Elena laughed "Yeah, I know the feeling."

"Tell me about it. I'm still trying to purge the sound of the welcome home Damon gave you out of my brain."

"Oh god, you heard that?"

"Katherine looked like she was going to throw up. It was pretty funny."

Elena buried her face in a towel. "I'm so embarrassed."

"Hey, you were kidnapped and nearly killed, I think you're entitled to some mind blowing welcome back sex."

"Well now it's your turn. Unless you think the returning hero is still holding out on you?"

Caroline laughed. "No, I'm pretty sure something is going to happen tonight. He's got this whole crazy secret date thing going, he won't tell me what he's up to. But there's no way I'm letting the night end without a little action."

"If the boys could hear us now. We're probably worse then them, talking about this kind of stuff." Elena smiled.

"You have no idea how nice it is to have someone to talk about this stuff with. It's not like I can tell Stefan how all I can think about is pouncing on Nik."

Elena laughed. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure he'd want to gouge his eyes out at just the thought of you all over some guy. You're like their sister."

"He's one to talk. I've gotten more than an eyeful of him and Rebecca all over each other."

"Bleh!" Elena made a face. "I do not need that image in my brain."

"Tell me about it." Caroline muttered.

"I'm going to miss you." Elena said quietly.

"Miss me?"

"I know you won't be coming with us to Bogota. You're going to go with him."

Caroline nodded. "I do want to go with him. I just don't know where that is. And it scares me, because this is how things started with Tyler. I left everything behind. I lost my family. I don't want to lose you."

"You won't lose us, Care." Elena smiled. "This isn't Tyler and we're not going to disown you for being with Nik. Besides, Damon and Stefan are always moving around for work, and so is Nik, chances are we'll end up near each other again.

"Chances are..." Caroline said sadly. "I don't want to just hope I'll see you again."

"I've been talking to Damon about maybe cutting back a bit. He's saved so much from the past few years. We don't need to be working as much as we do. I want somewhere to make a home."

Caroline nodded. "Nik said he won't work as often as he used to either. And he does a lot of research from home when he can. But when he's on location for a job, he wants me somewhere else, just to be safe."

"See? Elena smiled "You'll come and stay with me whenever he's away on a job. I'll have a house somewhere. Stefan's already buying property in New York, but Damon wants to look at places in their hometown. He said this distant relative used to own a boarding house there and it would be perfect with some fixing up. If we're working, you'll travel with me and we'll do sightseeing and day drinking just like old times, and if we're not on a job, you can stay at my new home and we'll bake cookies or whatever people with normal lives do."

Caroline smiled. "It sounds perfect."

"You can have both. Us and Nik." Elena reminded her. "Don't forget about me."

Caroline hugged her friend. "I could never. You're more than my best friend. You're my sister."

Elena hugged back.

Nik held his phone up and snapped a picture, then tucked it back against his ear.

"Well?" he asked impatiently.

"The first one." Bonnie replied. "And the sparkly shoes."

"Really?" He asked.

"Hey. You called for advice. I'm giving it."

"Fine." He grumbled and gathered the selected items to pay for them. "Did you look up the thing I asked you about?"

"Yeah, I'm on it. I'll text you the address. I've already contacted the guy with the keys, he'll meet you this afternoon by the docks. What about... sleeping arrangements?"

"I've got that taken care of already." He said.

Bonnie laughed. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were nervous."

"Don't be ridiculous."

"Oh I know, but this is the first I've ever seen you like this. Let me revel in it a little."

"If you met her, you'd understand."

"You can introduce me when you're back to work." Bonnie said. "Have fun on the rest of your vacation, and good luck tonight."

Nik walked out of the shops and headed over to the other side of the island to make the rest of his preparations.

Elena and Caroline made a detour on their way back from the pool to the room. Elena had insisted Caroline go into the shops to find some mind blowing underwear.

"Is this supposed to be easy to take on and off?" Caroline called out from the dressing room, trying to figure out all the straps and hooks on the stockings and garter belts Elena kept passing her though the curtains.

"NO!" Elena shouted, and tossed another lace bra into the room.

"Well If I can't figure out how to get this on, how is he going to get it off?"

"The frustration makes it more fun, trust me."

"I'll trust you when I figure out where this strap goes."

Elena huffed into the dressing room and impatiently hooked everything into place.

"See?"

"Oh." Caroline responded. "I look..."

"Hot." Elena insisted. "We're getting it."

They reached the suite giggling and making jokes as Elena came up with different possible scenarios for where the mystery date could be taking place. When they got back to the suite there was a large box with a white ribbon tied around it sitting on the table in the front room.

Elena looked at the card sitting on top of it. "For you." she pointed, smiling.

Caroline traced her fingers along the card.

Something to wear. Be ready at seven. -Nik

She opened the box and pulled back the tissue paper to reveal a beautiful pale blue dress. She held it up in front of her. It had a sweetheart neckline and fell to just below her knees, cut so it would probably billow out in circles if she spun around wearing it. There were trails of silver jewels that swirled down the silky fabric.

"Wow." Caroline breathed.

Elena pointed to the two smaller boxes. "What's in those?"

Caroline opened the bigger of the two. That bastard must has snooped through all her things to find out her dress and shoe size. They were the most impossibly gorgeous pair of heels, all silver sparkles and shine. She felt herself shaking her head at him, as if he could see her. She didn't want him going crazy spending money on her. That wasn't what this was about.

"They're beautiful." Elena said, looking at the shoes. "But that's kind of weird." She pointed to the ankle straps.

Caroline hadn't noticed it at first, but now it was all she could see. Blue cotton fabric. There was a tiny strip of soft blue cotton tied to each shoe in a little bow on the

ankle straps. She held up her wrist to confirm it, event hough she already knew. The braided bracelet that she had never taken off matched perfectly.

"What's that about?" Elena asked.

"Nik." She smiled, remembering that day. "Just something he did, the first time around. Before I figured it all out."

Caroline picked up the smallest box. She already knew what was in it.

The bracelet he had tried to give her before was shimmering back at her, resting on top of a folded piece of paper. She hesitantly picked up the bracelet, watching all those diamonds sparkle in the light. She unfolded the paper in her hand and read the note he had left for her.

In case you need reminding, it was always real for me. The evening I tried to give you this bracelet, you surprised me. I learned from you that night that actions meant more to you than money when you let me put the bracelet around your wrist that I had made out of an old t shirt instead of this one.

You don't have to wear this tonight, or ever. Just know that it's yours. Yours without expecting anything in exchange. Just the same as that ratty cotton braid you never took off.

Even when you were looking at me with hate, telling me you couldn't wait to be rid of me, you never took it off. I let myself believe that it meant that there was still a chance for me to acquit myself. If there is any doubt in your mind about giving me a chance, allow me to use tonight to show you the life you can have with me.

-Nik

Caroline's hands shook as she read over the paper a second and third time. She set it down on the box and wrapped her hand around her other wrist, holding on to the cotton braid that was still there.

Elena leaned on her shoulder to read the note.

"Holy shit, Care? Who is this guy?"

"I know. He's crazy, right?"

Elena smiled. "I'll take that kind of crazy any day."

Damon walked in the door and saw the girls going thought the presents.

"What's all this?" he asked.

Elena held up the diamond bracelet. "Look what Caroline's boyfriend got her. Time to step your game up, Salvatore."

"Oh, challenge accepted, Gilbert." He smiled, throwing her over his shoulder and marching back to his bedroom. "Time to buy you something shiny."

"The front door is that way, Damon." Elena laughed.

"Oh, haven't you heard of this thing called online shopping? The best part is you can do it naked."

Elena threw the bracelet back to Caroline. "Good luck on your date tonight!" She

shouted.

Caroline looked down at the bracelet, turned it over in her hands a few times, and decided to put it on.