Previously on I've Been Roaming Around:
"I need you to be there for Jeremy. You need to help him, you need to protect him. This will be your promise to me. And this will be my promise to you." She swallowed the metallic taste of blood again. "I will always love you, and I will always be with you. You have my word on that."
He let out a haggard sighed as a tear fell down his cheek. "I promise Care, I will look after Jeremy. I'll protect him, you have my word." His voice grew weak.
She nodded and smiled up at him. She placed her hand affectionately on his cheek.
"Don't cry. You're stronger than this. I love you."
He tried his best to muster up a happy smile as he looked down at her. But he was losing her.
"I love you too, I always will."
He heard her inhale a breath and shallowly release it. He felt her go limp. Her head slightly fell to the side. He shook his head as the tears fell faster.
"Caroline? Care!" He softly shook her. "Caroline, open your eyes, open your eyes please, please! Don't leave me...Caroline!" He lifted her limp body and hugged her, his tears soaking her blonde hair.
…
He lumberly walked up the front steps of Caroline's house and opened the door. Right away he felt Jeremy's presence.
"Where is she?"
Stefan looked at him sympathetically. "Jeremy, I'm so sorry."
That's when Jeremy broke down. "No! No, no, no!" He ran over to the door and opened it, dashing out onto the porch. "Caroline! Caroline!" He screamed, tears running down his face as he sobbed. He sunk to his knees.
Stefan walked over to him. "Jer, Jeremy. It's going to be alright. I promised her that I would look out for you, and I will never break that promise."
Jeremy turned to him. "She's gone?"
It wasn't a question, more of a statement.
"I-I should have helped her. I-I should have been there-"
Stefan shook his head as he placed his hand comfortingly on the young man's shoulder.
"No, she didn't want you to see her like that. She wanted you to remember the good memories. She wanted you to remember her life, not her death."
"I-I still should have told her that she-she helped me so much and-and-" He was choking up.
"I know, but she already knows."
He pulled Jeremy to his feet and hugged him as he cried.
"She loved you Jeremy, don't you ever forget that."
"I know." He sobbed into Stefan's shoulder.
"Try not to remember her dying. You need to remember her life, all the memories that you shared, remember all the good and funny times. All the times she made you smile and laugh. Burn those memories into your mind, and you'll remember her as happy, loving Caroline. You'll remember the woman she really was."
... {love you forever & always}...
It's been two-almost three years- since Caroline had died. He would visit her every time he visited Seaside. He had brought Jeremy to the grave site just after her death. He knew that Jeremy visited her frequently as well. He also brought Damon, who-when he heard the news of her death-cried uncontrollably. Stefan had felt sorry for his brother. He knew that to Damon, Caroline was family. And he deeply regretted not bringing Damon with him when he went on the quest to find her.
Every time Stefan would visit her, he would bring a bouquet of purple chrysanthemum flowers and put them on her grave. And he would remember the woman he loved, the woman he would love forever and always. He would remember the woman who would always have his heart, and the woman who would always be with him, his Caroline.
A/N: So that's the end! I really enjoyed writing this story! I hope you all enjoyed reading it! Let me know what you think. ; )