Another update, something that came to me suddenly to include this flashback one-shot chapter on Sheriff Forbes' death, before the story in New Orleans progresses on.

P.S: I won't be ever starting STEROLINE as a relationship so don't you readers worry! In case you were worried

4 months ago

Caroline

"So any news on Elena, I mean Katherine's, whereabouts?" Caroline asked. She had called Stefan the minute her classes ended for the day. It has been almost 6 months Katherine took passenger in Elena's body and made a run. Caroline and the rest had been searching for some sort of news about Elena or Katherine high and low throughout this period, and it seems as though she has literally vanished into thin air. Even with all their vampire capabilities, it seems like Katherine was still as cunning as ever, making sure she doesn't leave any traces behind.

They had been desperate in their search. Except Damon, though. Ever since Elena/Katherine broke up with him and he has gone on a downward spiral along with Enzo, his bad-vampire buddy, and left Mystic Falls for good. When Stefan tried to look for him, he simply ignored and went back to old sadistic self.

"No, um, nothing." Stefan answered, but in a strange tone, which sounded like he's trying to decide whether to say something or not. Caroline's brows furrowed with worry, feeling suspicious as she made her way into her bunk and gave a little wave to Bonnie who's already there.

"Are you hiding something from me, Stefan? What's wrong?" There's a slight silence following that. Bonnie gave a questioning look and Caroline simply shrugged. She had no idea what's going on too.

"Stefan?" She asked again.

"Look, Caroline, I think you… have to come back to Mystic Falls now." Stefan finally answered.

Stefan

Stefan was pacing around the living room, trying to decide how he should break the news to Caroline when she arrives later on. He sat down and held his hand to his forehead and grieves started building itself up inside of him as well. He had no idea how would Caroline react to that, but at least Bonnie will be with her. Then he thought of Elena. He wished she were here, too. Caroline would be able to handle the news so much better with both Bonnie and Elena around, he was sure. And Stefan had missed Elena. His heart squeezed at the thought of the love of his life being trapped in her own body. So many months they have been desperately searching, but there's still no news of Katherine/Elena. He let out a frustrated sigh just as he heard a car pulling in. Stefan shook away his thoughts about Elena and focus on what's about to come.

"Stefan? Hey." Caroline said as soon as Bonnie walked in. "Is anything wrong? Is there news about Elena?" She continued, her look of worry obvious on her face.

"Yeah Stefan what's wrong? Tell us." Bonnie spoke up and eyed him with a similar look as Caroline.

Stefan's shut his eyes and tried to gather up his courage for him to deliver the news to Caroline. "Caroline, I want you to… be ready for what I'm about to tell you, okay? No matter what, you have Bonnie and I here for you." He finally looked up and held Caroline's gaze, as her look of worry became one more of fear.

"Sheriff Forbes. She's passed away. I'm sorry." Stefan went forward and wrapped his arms around Caroline the moment he said that out. He felt tears forming at his eyes as he noticed how still Caroline was. Stefan knew how much Caroline treasured her mother and this was no easy news to bear at all.

Bonnie held her hand to her mouth in shock as she started sobbing. "Wh..at?" She asked out of her sobs.

Caroline let out a short but fake laugh in Stefan's arms. "No way. Stefan, it's not April's fools or whatever. Don't try to joke about something like that because I swear even if you're my best friend I'll cut my ties with you." She was trying to sound nonchalant, Stefan knew. It was obvious.

Matt and Tyler barged into the place at that moment and took in the scene before. Stefan nodded slightly, signaling to them that Caroline already knew. "Care…" Matt started.

Caroline pushed Stefan away and turned around to look at Matt and Tyler. Stefan can see that Caroline already knew it's the truth, from the reactions of the two of them, but she's in denial now.

"No." Caroline said exasperatedly before her voice started shaking. "No… No… No! You're all lying. It cannot be, I'm going home right now and show to you all that my mum's not dead!" She yelled and tried to vamp speed out of the room as Tyler grab on to her from the back.

"Caroline!" Bonnie shouted out as she continues sobbing.

"Don't, Care. It's the truth. You won't find anyone back home." As soon as those words left Tyler's lips, Caroline knelt down and buried her face in her hands as she cried hard.

Stefan felt like his heart was being squeezed by a million hands as he witnessed Caroline's breakdown. He slowly walked over to her, where Tyler was still trying to console her. He squatted down beside Caroline and patted on her back. "Just cry it out, you'll feel better that way."

Caroline looked up at Stefan through her tear-stained eyes. "She was my only family left. Only one that I had left to hold on to. My dad left me, and now her too? I can't do this, I can't." Tears continued to flow down her cheeks as Stefan noticed the look in her eyes. He knows this look, better than anyone else. The look that says she doesn't want to feel any pain anymore, she wants to block it out, badly.

"No." Stefan held on to Caroline by her shoulders. "Caroline, look at me. Don't. Don't ever turn it off. It would not help with your pain. I know how painful and torturous this must be for you now. But you have us. You have Bonnie. Tyler. Matt. And me. Your mother wouldn't want you to do this. She would want you to be strong. You know that well enough, right?"

Caroline looked at him for a while before she nodded slightly and her gaze were back to normal. Stefan silently felt relieved; Caroline shouldn't have to go through this, the guilts of turning off her humanity. He had let Elena gone on that route once. And he wouldn't allow that instance to happen again. Stefan decided to let the girls have some lone time as Bonnie walked over to Caroline and hugged her while they sobbed together.

Caroline

Caroline arrived back into her home, as she looked around and took in the silence. She had assured the rest she felt fine and wanted some time alone, and they had respected her. Her heart felt numb after crying for hours. Stefan and Bonnie had gone with her for the last look of her mother, while Tyler and Matt went to help her start off preparations for the funeral. She felt thankful deep down for having them around even though her mind was too absorbed with all the thoughts of her mother. All their memories. Every word her mum had told her.

She had learnt her mum died from a traffic accident. She was trying to avoid a blind pedestrian who were crossing the road when the traffic lights were faulty, and the impact of her swerving her car, banging into the wall, was too huge. Ironic, honestly, after everything supernatural her mum had dealt with, she was gone in the most usual humane way. Caroline sobbed as she thought of her mum's face when she saw her, full of blood bruises and cuts. She tried to pushed away the images as she vamp sped to her room and curled up on her bed and started sobbing again.

She was so close to turning off her humanity this afternoon. The pain, it was too much. It was like when her dad had died, but ten folds worse. Her mum had stayed with her so much throughout her life, that Caroline just couldn't accept the idea of her being gone, forever. And forever is a long time for Caroline now. She's an immortal, technically. The thought of that made her felt like having someone to talk to, about her mum, to offer her comfort. Stefan first came to her mind, but as Caroline scrolled through her contacts list, she paused when his name appeared. Klaus.

She haven't actually thought about him for a while, until now. And her heart felt sudden warmth as she thought about him. I want to talk to him, Caroline realised. At that very moment, it was Klaus' voice, his comfort that her heart craves deeply, to her surprised. Caroline wants to tell him how much she loved her mum, how much it hurts her to say that her mum's dead, how much she wants to forgot all this pain, all the happy and sad memories she and her mum had shared. How much she wanted his presence to be with her through this tough period.

She almost pressed the call button, until she came to the reality that, no, she couldn't. All Caroline ever wanted was to push him away, gone, with all the attraction she held for him. How could she be feeling this way? Caroline tucked her phone away and closed her eyes, hoping that sleep will come soon and take away all her thoughts, all her pain. Her mother came back into her mind again, and she slowly drifted off to sleep as she was sobbing.

That night, Caroline dreamt scenarios that she didn't recall the next morning. A dream where she and her mother were laughing together in the kitchen, chitchatting, having a quality mother-daughter time, with genuine and beautiful smiles on both their faces. Then, a dream about a hybrid. She had her head on his shoulder, and just silently, a moment between the two of them where words need not be spoken, but through understanding between them.