Title: A Girl Named Caroline
Author: Fansparadise
Rating: M
Warnings: Language, Violence, and sexual situations
Pairings: S/C/D; S/E/K
Category: Alternate History
Summary: Stefan and Damon return to Mystic falls for Caroline, who was attacked
by an unknown, leaving her with a scar and returning memories.
Disclaimer: I do not own...sadly.
Author's Note:Sorry I haven't updated. I've been feeling ill for weeks and only recently been starting to feel better. Also I apologize if it's not to your liking. I rewrote my original draft while I was sick.
He'd wanted to kiss her. She could tell by the glint in his eye as he watched her, by the way his jaw twitched whenever, during that night, she'd lean in really close to tell him something. But never once did he make a move.
Which is just so frustrating!
It was probably the reason she was standing at his front door. Other than the fact that said boy—who had taken up residence in her thoughts—had left his jacket behind when he'd departed. His scent was still on it the following morning and she'd be lying if she said she hadn't tried it on. Just to see how it felt.
Focus Care! Knock on the door.
Her free arm went up, and she wrapped her knuckles lightly against it. She jumped back slightly as the door creaked open, reveling an empty hall.
"Stefan?" Caroline called as she stepped inside, clutching his jacket against her chest. "Is anyone here?"
Squawk!
Her head snapped to the door, eyes squinting at an approaching figure. She yelped, ducking her head as a black crow flew through the front door. Probably the same one from the window at school.
Caroline turned sharply to avoid it, almost colliding into a hard chest. Her eyes trailed up black silk and buttons, smirking lips until meeting a familiar pair of gleaming blue eyes.
"Wha—how—did you..." She stammered confused by this new development.
My eyes are playing tricks on me...
He titled his head as he stared down at her, lips twitching as a blush crept brightly on her face.
"The front door was open," Caroline got out, indicating over her shoulder. However, said door was now closed. "I've met you before...in the woods...Damon, right?"
"Yes," Damon half smiled, eyes wandering over her face. "And you're Caroline."
The blond nodded slowly. "I—I just came to return this..."
She informed him hoisting the jacket into his view.
"How do you know the Salvatores?" She asked, remembering Stefan telling her that he was living with his uncle Zach now that his parents were dead.
It was a little unnerving running into him yet again, this time in the home of her—friend.
Her question appeared to amuse him because his lips quirked widely into a smirk.
What the—
"I'm Damon Salvatore."
Caroline's eyes widened as an image formed clearly before her eyes.
His lips were curved into a smile as he said, "I am Salvatore, Damon Salvatore."
Why do I feel like I know him?
It wasn't lost on her that the man before her was walking sex. The way his brows raised ever so slightly to transition expression, the gleam of mischief in his eyes...it was all so appealing.
Woah, girl! Calm down.
She listened intently as he continued. "I'm Stefan's brother."
Stefan's brother? He never—
"I'm sorry," she stammered, feet shifting uncomfortably beneath her as he continued to stare. "Stefan's never talked about having a brother."
Damon gave a small smile at this.
"Well...he's told me all about you," He informed her brightly, wrapping an arm lightly around her shoulder. "I'm sure my brother will be back any second, why don't we wait for him?"
She nodded as he led her through an open archway into a high-ceiling sitting room, walls lined with shelves of books.
"Wow!" Caroline breathed as she looked around the room in awe. "This is beautiful."
"Yes, it is."
The blond looked up, noting that he was still staring unflinchingly at her.
Why do those eyes seem so familiar?
She also noted that his arm was still slung around her. The warmth he provided sending a wave of sensations down to the pit of her stomach. He dropped it a moment later, turning his body to face her.
"I can see why my brother is so taken with you," Damon said softly, gaze trailing down to her lips shamelessly. "You are...incredibly beautiful."
Caroline's face scrunched up in embarrassment, unsure of how to reply. Thankfully his lips moved to continue.
"Hello, brother."
"Damon." A familiar voice called. "Caroline sorry to keep you waiting."
The blond turned to greet the boy with a wide smile.
"It's fine." She assured him. Holding his jacket out for him to see, "I just wanted to return this...I noticed it's one you wear everyday...I thought you'd feel weird without it."
Stefan looked down at it, "that was very thoughtful of you."
Damon nodded in agreement before speaking up, "Well, I'm off. I have a meeting with Carol Lockwood that cannot be put off any longer."
To Caroline he said, "It was a pleasure meeting you."
Taking her hand in his he placed a chaste kiss upon it, eyes peeking out from beneath dark lashes to stare up at her.
The girl felt her pulse quicken at the contact before he suddenly pulled away.
"I hope I'll be seeing you again soon." He said before sliding out of the room pass Stefan.
Caroline's eyes drifted from his retreating figure to Stefan's, who still stood in the open archway.
She approached him with an unsure smile, extending his jacket out to him which he accepted graciously.
"Thank you." Stefan mumbled.
"Your brother seems nice." She informed him, the feel of the boy's lips still tingling on her skin. "You've never talked about him."
The boy stared down at the floor silent before responding.
"I would rather not talk about him."
It's his brother! His flesh and blood! Why wouldn't he want to talk to him? If my mom—
The thought of her alone was enough to shut her up. Stefan probably had his reasons for not talking about his brother. But he seemed like a fairly decent guy to her.
"Okay," she said offering a smile, "But there was another reason I came over..."
Stefan's attention was hers as she continued.
"...other then wanting to see you. I-um I was hoping that maybe you'd come visit Vicki at the hospital with me," Caroline finished with an uncertain expression.
The Salvatore appeared in deep thought, which made the girl a bit nervous. He nodded slowly after a moment.
"Of course."
"What do they think attacked her?" Caroline inquired as they stood in front of Vicki's hospital room. The curtains were up and after peeking inside she could see the older girl lying in the uncomfortable bed watching TV.
"A wild animal," Elena informed her through yawns. She gladly accepted the coffee the blond had handed her the moment she'd met her at the entrance. "Most likely a wolf."
"Wolves...in Mystic Falls?"
That can't be right.
"Yeah, there have been similar attacks." Elena said after taking a long sip of caffeine. "But Vicki's the first to survive. She's lucky."
A cough sounded behind them and both turned as Stefan approached, donuts in hand.
"Thanks." The two said in unison, each accepting one.
"How is she?" He asked peering into the room.
"The doctors say she's going to be fine," said the Gilbert, "But she did lose a lot of blood. And there will be some scaring."
Scarring? Her bite mark!
"Can she see anyone?" Caroline inquired eyes drifting toward Stefan who stood silently beside her.
Elena shook her head. "The doctors gave her something to calm her down...she was a bit jumpy when we brought her in..."
"Elena?" the girl could tell there was more she wanted to add.
"She—she said a vampire attacked her." Elena sighed running a hand through her hair.
Vampire?
"I know, I know," she continued, "She was seriously confused...and she has this scar on her neck from her attack...kind of like yours. From your attack. It really freaked me out."
Caroline flinched at the blunt connection to their attacks.
"I have to go." Stefan suddenly spoke up.
She turned to him with a mixture of surprise and confusion.
"I'm sorry I just remembered something important...that I need to take care of."
With one last apologetic look he was gone, back disappearing behind a pair of double doors.
"What's up with him?" Elena inquired drawing back the girl's attention.
"I-I don't know."
The moment Stefan stepped through the door he lunged for him. Wrapping a hand roughly around his neck, pressing his body into the edge of the entryway leading into the foyer.
Clank. Damon hissed as his glass of bourbon hit the ground and quickly reversed their positions with his arm locked firmly across Stefan's throat.
"Do you want me to kill you?" He asked coldly eyeing his brother as if he had a death wish.
"What did you do to Caroline?" Stefan growled out struggling against him.
"What are you talking about?"
The elder Salvatore exclaimed pulling back as Stefan shrugged him off.
"Her attack. You attacked her and..."
"Woah," Damon scoffed, scowl forming on face, "I never laid a hand on Caroline."
Stefan took a step back, head bowed down in confusion as he tried to think.
"She was attacked by a vampire." He informed his brother after a moment.
"I know." Damon said with a hint lithe in his voice. "I was there."
"And you didn't stop it?" Stefan's eyes shot up to him enraged, "Her mother is missing...or dead..."
"Yeah, and Caroline's alive." Damon shot back as if it was the only important thing.
That was true. If Damon hadn't been there whoever had attacked them could have easily killed the girl.
She laid there before him. Blood pouring from her wrist from where she'd been bitten. Her golden locks a mess of tangles and her face drained of color.
He crouched down beside her, gripping her head gently and resting it to cradle in his lap.
"Mom?" She breathed softly as his fingers ran down her cold cheek.
"You're going to be okay." He murmured softly as he turned her body and with one swift motion lifted her into his arms. "You're going to be okay, Caroline."
"Did you get him?" Stefan sighed. Allowing the knowledge that his brother had protected the woman they loved from death to sink in; he watched him carefully.
Damon rolled his eyes, smoothing out the end of his jacket.
"No." He said simply.
"Well—did you get a good look at him?" Stefan asked with an unusual edge. If whoever attacked Caroline was still out there then he could very well come after her again.
Damon arched an eyebrow at him. "If I did do you think he'd still be alive."
The younger Salvatore stared back at him with a narrowed gaze.
"How do you know he won't comeback..."
"After all this time," Damon cut him off, "Stefan, it's been months since Caroline's attack. If he wanted her, he'd have come by now. God knows I would have."
A smug smirk sat squarely on his face as he turned heel and retreated out of the room, "Oh, and don't forget brother..." he stopped, pausing in the entryway, "...she hasn't made her choice yet."
"You sure you don't want me to drive over there," Bonnie asked sweetly into her phone, eyes shooting to Meredith, who sat stood across from her in the old attic cluttered with boxes. "Okay. Then I guess I'll see you tomorrow. Okay, bye Caroline."
"How is she?" Meredith asked as her friend hung up with a worried frown.
"She's okay. She's staying overnight with Elena, while Matt drives out of town to pick up his mom." She informed as she joined her by the pile of boxes. "Vicki's doing a lot better."
Meredith gave a relieved sigh, sliding one of the boxes over to Bonnie.
"Look what I found."
The Bennett gazed down at the dust-coated box in surprise. Marked at the edge of the box in sharpie was the name: Emily Bennett.
"Oh my god!" She exclaimed resting a hand lightly on top of it.
"Is that the same Emily Grams always talks about when she's on whiskey?" the brunette inquired watching her friend closely.
She nodded in response.
"Yeah. She was some powerful witch from Salem." Bonnie said softly as a tingle began to creep up her arm, sprouting from where her hand was touching the box. She pulled it back sharply.
"Are you okay?" Meredith asked worriedly as her friend starred down at her hand in surprise.
"Yeah," said girl murmured back.
She felt a strange tug, urging her to tear open the box and claim whatever contents it held.
"Are you sure?" Meredith studied Bonnie carefully as she set the box aside from the others.
"Definitely." Bonnie assured her with a wide smile. "Let's get to cleaning!"
Next: Caroline confronts Stefan about his constant disappearances and has another face-to-face with Damon at the Founder's Day Party, Bonnie explores the contents of Emily's box, and Elena and Matt talk about their relationship.