Howdy!

First of all, thank you for your reviews and the follows! Love them so much!

I'd just like to start off by apologizing for the length. Not all of the chapters will be this short, probably none after this will be actually. I just got to the end and was like, "Nope. That's where it's gotta end!"

But I hope you enjoy it! I think you'll all figure out real quick who the stranger is! ;-)

Also, don't fret. Your favorite characters all have a role to play and you'll meet them eventually!

If you like what you read, please please review! They make my day!

Chapter 2: True Grit

"Alright, Folks!" He yelled. "This is a stick up!"

Caroline froze, staring at the man handling the weapon. To say she was caught off guard would be an understatement. And to think a few moments ago she was just chatting with him on the street. However, their uncomfortable and odd conversation was now beginning to make sense.

Caroline always thought of herself as a smart girl. Always obeyed the rules and never got in to too much trouble, but in this situation she seemed to lose hold of those qualities. For some reason she kept her eye contact with him, perhaps it was to show the bandit that she wasn't afraid, or maybe she was just too scared to look away. Either way, he cocked his head to the side and his dark hazel eyes seemed amused as he approached her. "Well aren't we courageous?"

"I would keep my distance, Bandit!" she said forcefully and when he took another step toward her she took two large steps back.

"I like pretty little things with sharp tongues," he mused, and removed a large hunting knife from his waist. "It would be such a waste to have to cut yours out," he said menacingly.

From the tip of her head to the soles of her worn in boots, Caroline felt every nerve in her body begin to quake. She no longer felt brave enough to look him in the eye, for the man in front of her, the one that spoke to her about the bandit that was sure to haunt her dreams forever, were one in the same. She was in the presence of "The Tailor".

"Ah, I can see you're puttin' the pieces together. Well don't worry," he shook his head and returned the hunting knife back to his belt, "your tongue will remain in that pretty little mouth of yours today. If you do as I say."

He took another step toward her and she instinctively stepped back once more. At first she seemed to have won a small victory when he didn't pursue her any further, but it was short lived when she felt the hard barrel of a gun hit the center of her back. Her hands immediately went up in to the air as she heard the familiar cocking of the gun's hammer.

"I wouldn't move if I were you," a voice grumbled from behind.

How could she have known there was more than one of them? When she entered the bank it was just her, Mr. and Mrs. Gilbert (who were now cowering in the corner), the teller Alaric Saltzman, and a gentleman at the counter.

Caroline closed her eyes when the realization came to her of who the other bandit was. He looked familiar when he turned around to watch her enter the bank, and she berated herself for not figuring it out immediately. She was preoccupied with images of men getting their tongues cut out for her to notice that Damon "The Face" Salvatore was in her presence.

He was a handsome man, and the sketch outside did not do him justice. She presumed that was to his benefit, seeing as no one seemed to recognize him in town. His raven black hair framed his face in an unruly manner and as handsome as he was his sideways smile made him look more sinister than charming. He had a long nose and strong jawline, but it was the eyes they had gotten wrong in the drawing. They were much larger and were outlined with thick black lashes. If the sketch artist was able to print in color, his piercing baby blues would have been his tell for sure. Even if he hid the rest of his face, those eyes would have given him away instantly.

"Do as they say, Miss For-" Alaric started to say.

"Shut it!" Damon said. "Now, take me to the safe." He started to circle round the counter, waving his gun at the Gilberts and back at Caroline. "You think you can handle it out here," he asked The Tailor.

"Yeah, yeah. Just go get it and let's get the hell out of here." He kept his gun pointed at her and the other hostages while peeking through the curtains of the front window. "And hurry up! Looks like we're about to gain a couple more guests." He shuffled to the side of the door and shouted at the hostages, "Put your goddamn hands down," before pressing his finger to his lips to silence them.

The door opened, hiding the bandit from the unsuspecting folk and Caroline sighed. No one else needed to be involved and certainly not Mrs. Bennett and her granddaughter.

Mrs. Bennett had been taking care of her granddaughter, Bonnie, her entire life. Bonnie's mother ran off when she was a small child, and her father died of Scarlet Fever, so she was all that Bonnie had left and she would be damned if she let anything happen to them.

The moment the two ladies crossed the threshold, Caroline did a wildly stupid thing. "Mrs. Bennett, stop." She threw her hands out and halted them before quickly glancing at the stranger. He pointed his shotgun directly at her, and the fury in his eyes was inescapable as he shook his head slowly as a warning.

Mrs. Bennett was clearly startled. "Caroline Forbes, don't you know better than to startle an old woman? What's the meaning of this?"

"Sorry, it's just...well," she began but hadn't thought her actions through any further. "The bank is closed," she offered in a rush.

"Closed?" Bonnie looked around the room and noticed the other patrons.

"Yes, Mr. Saltzman said to tell anyone else that comes in that he was sorry but he needed to go home early today." She glanced over at the Gilberts, who just nodded their heads in agreement with the fib. Caroline felt relief rush over her from the Gilberts' unspoken understanding.

"Well, this just won't do," Mrs. Bennett said and started back in to the bank. She was a persistent old woman, she had to give her that.

Caroline moved forward and held her hands out once more. "Please, Mrs. Bennett, Bonnie, he was very adamant about no one else entering." She was trying her best to warn the women with the determination in her eyes.

Go! Go now, there are bad men in here, she pleaded silently.

Before they could refuse her again she was pushing them out the door. She nearly escaped herself but felt a strong grip on her elbow keeping her in place. Her body tensed at the unexpected contact. All she wanted to do was slap his hand away and race out the door with the Bennetts, but she just smiled one last time at them and closed the door in their faces. The women were griping on the other side of the door, mumbling something about Caroline not having any manners and her parents raising her better than that. She didn't care. They were safe.

"That was a risky move...Caroline, is it?"

She just nodded and moved away from him, placing her hands back over her head.

Damon rushed back in to the room with a frightened Alaric. "Got it! Let's go!" He swept his gun back around at the Gilberts and then to Caroline. "You four stay here and count to a hundred after we leave. If you even think about coming out this door before then, we've got a shooter poised and ready to take you out."

The Tailor just tipped his hat before reaching for the door handle, "Caroline, it was a pleasure." The way he said her name left a large lump in her throat, and the thought of this man knowing it was more unsettling than her knowing his.

The door slammed in front of them, as the bandits made their escape. Mrs. Gilbert finally let out a cry, Mr. Gilbert comforted her and Alaric swore before beginning their count to freedom. Caroline remained silent.

Something wasn't right.

While the rest of them counted and cried, she was replaying the events in her head. "Did..." she began, "did they take any money?" She imagined them leaving with large bags of the town's hard earned money, but realized they left with nothing but their pistols in their hands.

"No," was all Alaric said. "He had me open the safe and then lead me to the Councils safe deposit box."

"What did they take?" Mr. Gilbert asked.

"I'm not sure. He seemed to find what he was lookin' for though."

Odd.

"That was smart thinkin'," Mr. Gilbert said to her, "Getting Bonnie and her grandmother out of the way. Very brave."

She only smiled and nodded. It wasn't her intention to act bravely, she only wanted her friends to be safe.

"Do you think it's been a hundred yet?" Mrs. Gilbert asked Alaric.

"I think we're safe to leave, yes."

Caroline didn't hesitate before she rushed to the door for escape.

"Wait!" Alaric shouted. "Let me go first Ms. Forbes."

Alaric walked around the counter and stepped in front of her. He seemed extremely calm for a man that had just been robbed. His hand remained sturdy as he reached for the handle to peer outside.

Although she hadn't spent much time with him, she always felt like he was a good man, with strong morals and a kind heart. She could tell this by the way he held the door open for women and children, and how a warm smile always greeted her when she stepped in to the bank.

"Alright," he said and opened the door for Caroline.

The sun was still shining and the town still stood. It was just as she left it before going in to the bank. The bandits hadn't killed anyone, or set the buildings on fire, which were her immediate fears. There was no sign of the bandits at all, the town folk were going about their busy day, none the wiser. Caroline took two steps at a time down the stairs and raced in to the street.

She rounded the corner, taking little heed of the people in her way. She felt exhilarated but terrified. Never in her whole life did she think she would have gone through something like that. A bank robbery, with bandits and guns and threats, it was something you heard about not experienced.

Her father's horse was still hitched outside the station, and she picked up her pace. Something wasn't adding up with the robbery. What did they take? Her father would know, but she wouldn't get the chance to tell him.

One foot barely touched the first step to the station and her body was being yanked the opposite direction. A strong hand covered her mouth and the other wound tightly around her waist pulling her in to the shadows of the building.

She flailed her body, kicking and thrusting to escape, with no avail. Her body went limp as the distinctive sound of The Tailor whispered in her ear.

"There, there Caroline," his sickening voice purred in her ear. "We're not quite finished with you yet."

Haha! Kol's not quite finished. Muahaha. I wonder why that could be? Hmmm!

Love your comments! You guys have been so great!