Set between 2x19 & 2x20

Caroline was sitting on a bench in the middle of the square, watching people. She had no illusion about how those people saw her most of the time. A pretty, but shallow and ditzy blonde.

She didn't mind. After all, not that long ago, she had fitted that description.

So she often wondered how these people would react if she let free of her vampire instinct and started ripping out throats here and there.

They wouldn't call her a ditzy blonde anymore, that's for sure.

She smiled at the idea. It hadn't exactly been a walk in the park, but there were definitely some upside to being a vampire. One of those upside being her growing bond with Stefan. If she hadn't become a vampire, they probably wouldn't have spent that much time together. So she had to make sure to thank Katherine the next time she saw her.

Just kidding.

Talking about Stefan, she was actually waiting for him. When he had called earlier, Caroline had felt that something was wrong. And she was comforted in her impression when he arrived and actually collapsed on the bench beside her, attitude which was definitely not his usual.

"What's wrong?" she asked without preamble.

Stefan sighed. "Elena released Elijah last night."

"Elijah, the dead Original guy in your basement? Elena realeased him?" Incredulity tainted her voice.

Stefan nodded. "I know. Im' not sure what her plan is, and normally I would go and trust her instinct, but...I really don't know what to think anymore," and she could hear the deep worry in his voice and see the tired lines on his face.

Seeing him like this freaked her out a little bit.

She tried to reassure him. "Listen, I've known Elena for a long time now, and she's not exactly the impulsive type. If she did this, she probably has a very good reason."

"Tell that to Damon," Stefan said bitterly. Just when things were getting better between them, this whole mess was slowly but surely driving them apart again, and the fragile bond they had shared lately seemed but a memory already.

Caroline hated to see him like this, mostly because she felt so helpless. All her vampire's skills were useless to erase the lines of worry on Stefan's face.

She put a hand on his cheek in a sweet caress. She was trying to bring him some comfort, and she wasn't expecting him to take her hand and bring it to his mouth, brushing it with a soft kiss. The feathery touch sent a schok wave through her entire body. She really wasn't prepared for that intense physical awareness of each other.

And apparently he wasn't either.

He let go of her hand, and her stomach churned with disappointment when she saw him getting up. But he turned to her and said softly, "Let's go take a walk."

They walked in a comfortable silence for a while, and as soon as they were a bit outside of the city center, Stefan took hold of her hand again.

Caroline couldn't believe this was actually happening. After all it was not so long ago that Stefan had plainly rejected her in favor of Elena, and wasn't that always the case ? Elena was perfect, and Caroline wasn't good enough. She had understood and come to term with that for a while now.

Still it amazed her that for once someone would actually choose her, and seem to like her for who she actually was, and she didn't even had to try too hard like she usually did. And the fact that that someone was Stefan was beyong imaginable.

But she could picture it very clearly by watching their intertwined fingers.

When they came back at her house an hour later, it was empty. Stefan couldn't help but wonder how many times Caroline had been left alone because her mom was working.

She preceded him into the hall, but he suddenly stopped and tugged slightly on her hand, bringing her back to him.

She willingly went into his arms.

They stayed like this for a few minutes, holding each other, finding comfort and strength in each other's embrace. Stefan's hand was slowly caressing her back, and she put her face in the crook of his neck, enjoying the precious moment.

Hoping desperately that there would be more to come.

He let go of her, taking her face in his hands, plunging his green eyes into hers.

"We don't know what's going to happen now, so I need you to be very, very careful," he said, and she had to smile at his protectiveness.

"You know, with all that training I might actually be able to kick your ass," and he smiled back, looking at her with much tenderness.

"I'm pretty sure you could. But neither of is prepared for Elijah or Klaus. That's what I'm afraid of."

She nodded, and on an impulse pressed a kiss on his lips. It wasn't really passionate, just sweet and light, and his mouth caressed hers back gently.

Just as Caroline had initiated it, she was the one to pull away. "I'm sorry. I don't want to confuse things even more than they already are."

Stefan was watching her with awe, as if he wanted to memorize every line of her pretty face.

"Actually, things have never been clearer," he said, and with a last caress on her cheek, he left.